Calgary Stampeders rookie camp: Is high-draft offensive lineman Chris Fortin already CFL-ready?
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And it's not out of reach, given where he's from and the path he took to get to Calgary.
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Fortin played 41 games over four seasons (2021-24) with the NCAA's Connecticut Huskies, seeing action at centre, tackle and guard during his career, highlighted by being the starter at left guard during the 2024 season.
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And before attending UConn, the native of Saint-René, Que., played with Cégep Beauce-Appalaches Condors in Saint-Georges, Que., with whom he was a two-time all-star and named the league's top offensive lineman in 2019.
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'Kids in Québec play CEGEP football after they're done high school and prior to university,' explained Stamps director of Canadian scouting Dwayne Cameron. 'So not only do they come to us a little bit older, but they come in a little bit more mature and have played a little bit more high-level football from the time they've been in high school — and I think that shows.
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'Rarely are the Québec kids overwhelmed when they first come into training camp, and it's a little bit easier for them to make that transition, I think.'
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Fortin, 24, appears to be no exception.
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'We just come out just a little bit older,' he agreed. 'Because of the CEGEP, we have more time to develop and that definitely helps. On the field, some guys are more explosive and more experienced because they've been a pro for longer even if they're younger. But at the end of the day, it balances back because I'm older and I've developed in Québec and, after that, in the U.S.'
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Fortin can point to teammate and fellow o-lineman Christy Nkanu for recent precedence in such a blueprint.
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Coincidentally — or not — Nkanu is from Montreal and was the Stamps' first-round pick — eighth overall, as well — in last year's CFL Draft, and his swift progression with the club during his rookie season was certainly praised. Nkanu, who built his skills in Québec and later the States with the NCAA's Southern Utah Thunderbirds and Washington State Cougars, is also a candidate to play centre for the Stamps.
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'Right now, right here, it's probably Christy,' answered Fortin, when asked about who he's looking up to for inspiration these days. 'Just because he's from Québec and been in NCAA and is the guard here. So it's kind of similar to what I'm doing right now. So probably I'm going to try to emulate what he's doing to be the best I can be right now.'
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Even if centre isn't the fit for him, Fortin boasts the promise of being a massive addition on the interior of the offensive line.
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'The more versatile you can be, the more availability you can have for the team,' added Fortin. 'So the more valuable you be, the better for them, because we've got — what? — six or seven o-linemen per game. So the more a guy can be versatile, the better it will be for that guy to be traveling or be on the team at the end of the day.
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'I mean … first days of being a pro is in some ways like a dream for me to play pro football, so I'm always a little bit nervous. But same time it's just like, 'OK, now it's just football time' — different football than what I'm used to for the past five years but still football at the end of the day.'
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