Alouettes select OL Tiger Shanks in first round of CFL's Canadian college draft
Article content
The offensive tackle position in the CFL traditionally has been occupied by American-born players. Tiger Shanks eventually hopes to buck that trend with the Alouettes.
Article content
Article content
The Als selected the 6-foot-5, 325-pound Shanks fifth overall Tuesday night as the CFL conducted its Canadian college draft. Originally from Vancouver, Shanks spent much of his childhood in China before his family relocated to Lake Oswego, Ore.
Article content
He was a four-year starter at the right-tackle position at UNLV before deciding recently to make himself eligible for the CFL selection process. He's the only offensive lineman in the school's history to earn first-team all-Mountain West honours. But he chose not to proceed with speed or quickness testing at his pro day due to a nagging hamstring injury. He wasn't selected in the recent NFL draft, nor has he received a rookie mini-camp invitation.
Article content
Article content
'He had 50 starts at UNLV. That's high-level competition,' Maciocia told The Gazette in a text message. 'He's a competitor with a high-level football IQ. He's a mature and confident young man.'
Article content
Article content
Montreal-born Damien Alford, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound wide receiver who transferred from Syracuse to Utah last season, went first overall in the draft to the Calgary Stampeders. Alford has accepted a rookie mini-camp invitation from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Article content
Université de Montréal defensive-lineman Jeremiah Ojo, 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds, went seventh overall to the Toronto Argonauts, the defending Grey Cup champions. Ojo first will be attending rookie mini-camp with the New York Giants.
Article content
Article content
And Christopher Fortin, an offensive lineman who went to the University of Connecticut, completed the first round (eighth overall), going to Calgary. The 6-foot-5, 300 pounder is a native of St-René, Que.
Article content
The Als selected University of Calgary safety Nate Beauchemin in the second round (14th overall). Beauchemin, 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds, is a native of Kelowna, B.C., and should make an immediate impact on special teams. He was a playmaker last season for the Dinos, intercepting four passes along with forcing one fumble. He had 39 tackles.
Article content
Article content
Shanks becomes the highest CFL draft pick in UNLV history. He's only the sixth Rebels player to ever appear in the CFL draft, and the first since offensive lineman Brett Boyko and tailback Shaquille Murray-Lawrence both were selected in 2015. Boyko had been the highest UNLV draft choice, going 14th overall to the B.C. Lions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Less stress, more swagger: QB Nathan Rourke aiming to have fun with new-look Lions
VANCOUVER - Nathan Rourke is trying to add a little something to his game this season — the B.C. Lions quarterback wants to have more fun. 'That's a little bit of a goal for myself, trying to play a little bit more loose and not take things so seriously. So, trying to have a little bit more fun out there,' he said. 'And when you try to have fun, you probably end up doing that and actually having fun.' Last season didn't go the way Rourke or the Lions expected. The Canadian QB wasn't on B.C.'s roster to start the campaign as he worked to land a permanent job in the NFL. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW He re-signed with the Lions — where he had a standout campaign in 2022 — in mid-August, but struggled in his return. B.C. finished with a 9-9 regular-season record. Vancouver hosted the Grey Cup, but hopes of a home-team win were quashed when the Saskatchewan Roughriders downed the Lions in the West semifinal. B.C. will kick off a new campaign on Saturday when they host a revamped Edmonton Elks side. With a full training camp behind him and new head coach Buck Pierce at the helm, the 27-year-old Rourke believes this year could be different. 'I feel good. Body feels good. I'm excited about Buck's offence,' he said. 'It's been fun to practice these last couple of days and in training camp. Guys are excited about it. So hopefully that excitement just continues and turns into points.' Pierce, a former CFL quarterback and longtime assistant coach with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, was named B.C.'s head coach and offensive coordinator in December, replacing Rick Campbell. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The entire league has long envied the offence Pierce crafted for the Blue Bombers, said Lions defensive back Garry Peters. 'They've been our rivals for so long, so I've admired him from afar. For him to finally be on my side, I can just pick his brain and learn as much as I can about the way they did things over there. Because obviously they're a championship program,' he said. 'For him to bring that over here and instil that in us, it gets me excited and gives me hope that we can do special things this year.' Pierce helped the Bombers to five straight Grey Cup appearances, including wins in 2019 and 2021. Having him in charge has injected a new sense of confidence into the Lions' players, said receiver Keon Hatcher. 'I feel like, especially in the offensive, the skill positions, we're very excited about what he's bringing to the table as an offensive coordinator, as a head coach, calling the plays and stuff like that,' he said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'I feel like he puts us in a great position to make plays. And I just can't say enough about how excited we are just to learn this offence and be able to go out there and put on a display during the season.' After nearly a month getting to know his team at training camp in Kamloops, B.C., Pierce believes what could set his team apart this season is their competitive spirit. 'Ever since training camp got here, they're pushing each other. I think when you look at the way they interact, the way they communicate, they're really doing a good job of talking to each other, putting themselves in positions to be successful,' the coach said. 'Everybody's talented at this level. And we have talented guys, just like everybody else. That's what I keep talking to them about — what are we willing to do that other teams aren't willing to do? If you want to be successful, you've got to put the work in. And I'm proud of this group because they're workers.' B.C. also made changes to its front office in December, elevating Ryan Rigmaiden from assistant general manager to general manager. He responded with a series of off-season moves, including dealing veteran QB Vernon Adams Jr. to the Calgary Stampeders, signing former Toronto Argonaut Dejon Allen to add size and toughness to the offensive line in free agency, and bringing running back James Butler back into the fold following two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The current group is a good mix of young talent and veteran leaders, said Peters, who's heading into his 10th season with the Lions. 'Every year, everybody thinks their team is going to go to the Grey Cup. And it's no different this year for us,' he said. 'But just us going through the process and focusing more on the details, the details are the most important thing. So for me, seeing all the guys focusing more on the details, it just gets me excited for what's to come.' 2024 record: 9-9-0, third, West Division Did you know?: Rap icon and noted sports fan Snoop Dogg will perform before the Lions' season opener on Saturday. More than 50,000 fans are expected to take in the concert — and the game — at B.C. Place. Key additions: RB James Butler (Hamilton), OL Dejon Allen (Toronto), LB Micah Awe (Calgary), QB Jeremiah Masoli (Ottawa) Key losses: QB Vernon Adams Jr. (Calgary), WR Alexander Hollins (free agent), FB David Mackie (retired), RB William Stanback (Ottawa), LB Ryder Varga (Toronto) Players to watch: Rourke, Butler, DL Mathieu Betts, WR Justin McInnis This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Roughriders hold off Redblacks 31-26 in CFL season opener
The Saskatchewan Roughriders won the CFL's first game of the 2025 season, but the 31-26 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on Thursday was costly. The Roughriders lost four starters to injury, including three in the first 17 minutes. Receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker appeared to injure his left ankle; tailback A.J. Ouellette suffered a suspected head injury; and defensive back Rolan Milligan left the game with an apparent neck injury. Offensive lineman Payton Collins was injured in the third quarter of his CFL debut when an Ottawa player rolled up the back of his right leg. None of the four injured Riders returned to the game. The Roughriders dealt with injury issues last season and focused on a next-man-up mentality. Thursday's game took that to another level, and one that head coach Corey Mace expects from his players. "The next-man-up mentality, that certainly that has been our experience in the past, but the expectation is you've got to get the job done," Mace said. "You're on this team; you're a professional athlete. We're not going to change too much stuff up just because somebody else is in there. If you're on the active roster, things keep rolling. I'm extremely proud of the guys who had to step up and double duty, because a lot of those guys also are on special teams, having to suck wind in Week 1." Saskatchewan took a 31-17 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Redblacks, behind the impressive play of quarterback Dru Brown, cut the deficit to 31-26 with four minutes left in the game. Brown, who completed 34 of 41 passes for 413 yards with two touchdowns, had the Redblacks on their own 41-yard line with 1:11 left to play. After an incompletion, Brown was sacked for a 16-yard loss by Saskatchewan's Malik Carney. Facing a third-and-26 situation, Brown connected with William Stanback on a 14-yard completion that turned the ball over on downs. "It sucks to lose," Brown lamented. "I wish it was different but at the end of the day, it's one game. It's a game we felt we could've won. Great teams still thrive in this type of environment and there were some encouraging things going on. "We're on our way. We're not there yet but we'll get there." When Ouellette went down, Thomas Bertrand-Hudon stepped into the void and rushed for 57 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. He also gained 17 yards and one touchdown on two receptions. Betrand-Hudon benefited from the blocking of Samuel Emilus on his rushing touchdown, which gave the Riders a 31-14 lead. "He blocked his tail off the entire game, and he helped me out score a couple of times, so I've got to give props to him. He actually swung me into [the end zone]," Bertrand-Hudon said. It was the second two-touchdown game of Betrand-Hudon's CFL career. He scored twice in a 33-26 loss to the B.C. Lions on Sept. 29, 2023, during his rookie season. Despite some big offensive numbers by Ottawa — Brown's 413 passing yards and Justin Hardy and Bralon Addison with 133 and 112 receiving yards respectively — Mace felt Saskatchewan's defence answered the bell when it mattered. "This is what I do understand about this defence, and it has been this way since even I played — I don't care how many yards, just tell me if it's a W or an L," the coach stated. "As far as the defence being able to stand up when we needed it, to make a big play, yeah, they made them when we needed them." Roughriders starting quarterback Trevor Harris also wasn't concerned about how the victory looked. "It's early in the season and we've got to understand that these are full 60-minute football games," Harris said. "It's tough to win in this league. "Our defence stepped up, our specials did a great job. We're going to be all right. We're going to be a different team when it comes to Week 15 and playoff time and Labour Day. "We're going to be improved from where we are right now. But make no mistake, these wins matter at the end of the year, so a win is a win." Ottawa scored a touchdown on their first possession of the season. The Redblacks drove 87 yards on 10 plays with backup quarterback Dustin Crum reaching the end zone on a one-yard sneak. Brown was seven-for-seven passing for 84 yards on the drive. Harris completed 19 of 26 pass attempts for 277 yards and two touchdown throws in the game. His backup Tommy Stevens scored on a one-yard run 13 seconds into the second quarter and Emilus hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Harris seven minutes later to increase Saskatchewan's lead to 14-7. A 17-yard field goal by Brett Lauther with 17 seconds left in the quarter gave the Riders a 17-7 halftime lead. Emilus had an impressive first half with six receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown. He finished the game with eight catches for 133 yards. Geno Lewis, on an eight-yard reception, and Stanback, on a two-yard run, also scored second-half touchdowns for the Redblacks.
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
ANALYSIS: It's been 32 long years since a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup
You've heard it time and time again. It's been 32 years since a Canadian-based team was able to skate around the ice carrying the Stanley Cup. And here we are, with one game done and another one to be played Friday night in Edmonton, with Canada's last hope now just three games away from the ultimate goal. Thirty-two long, frustrating years. Story continues below advertisement As a country of 40 million, we can proudly say it's our passion for hockey and for our local teams that makes the NHL tick. We have kept the NHL relevant. And even more emphatically, Wednesday's first game of the Stanley Cup final between the Oilers and Florida Panthers was viewed by 4.5 million Canadians. That's two million more viewers than watched south of the border, in a country with a population eight times larger. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy And did you know that the TV ratings for each of the seven Canadian teams are better than any U.S.-based team? Teams like the Winnipeg Jets have better ratings than Boston, New York, Detroit and Chicago. It's hard to imagine. Oh sure, there are great franchises and great stories amongst the 25 teams based in the United States. But understand, this truly is our country's league. With almost half of the players Canadian, and so much of the business success around the NHL driven by Canadian markets and Canadian dollars, it's important to know that we treat this league differently than the other major pro sports leagues. Story continues below advertisement Yes, it's a business — big business and getting bigger all the time. But in our country, hockey is a public trust. For sure, the expectation of any or all of the fan bases in Canada is to win, but fans invest more than money. We feel the anguish of every loss, the joy of every goal, the pain of every hit. We don't watch hockey, we live it. That's why 32 years feels oh, so long. And there are still no guarantees that the streak won't get longer.
