[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
Matthew Cauz CFL.ca @mcauz56 CFL Combine season is a special time of the year for the hardcore football fan. Free agency has slowed down and the CFL Draft is still over a month away but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to talk about. We will learn so much about the next generation of players potentially entering the league this week. There are plenty of stories on CFL.ca looking back at past great combine performances, what to expect this year and, of course, Marshall Ferguson will break down specific prospects about what they will bring on the field to the CFL. CFL COMBINE » Full 2025 CFL Combine roster » 5 eye-popping stats from CFL Combine participants » 3 things to know about the CFL Combine » Top 5 40-yard dash, bench press performers from last 5 years » Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter Since there is no way I can break down film nearly as well as our writers, I would like to go in a different direction. As someone who use to write for my university paper during my McMaster days (‘The Silhouette’), I have a great deal of respect for the information you can find in these publications across the nation. I have gone through so many of these newspapers, along with past work done at CFL.ca, random interviews, Instagram posts and a variety of other news sources to find out more about who these players are as people. What are their football origins, what are their non-football passions and pursuits? It is more rewarding rooting for players when you know a little bit more about them as people. I took a couple days pouring through as much research as I could, but I want to give a tip of the cap to all the years of journalism that went into all the work chronicling so many impressive student athletes. KOLADE AMUSAN | DL | WINDSOR Defensive lineman Kolade Amusan won University of Windsor’s top honour, the Olympic Shield, given to their Male Athlete of the Year (Connor Skyes) I love the unique story of Windsor Lancers defensive lineman Kolade Amusan and just the number of twists and turns it took for him to get so close to the CFL Draft. Kolade grew up in a Nigerian household where academics traditionally take centre stage over everything else, including sports. He started his football career at the University of South Dakota until a coaching change led him to a community college in Kansas. From there Amusan ended up at Davenport University in Michigan before his arrival in Windsor. In the middle of his football travels Amusan tore his Achilles tendon back in the winter of 2021 and only missed two games. Today he is the proud owner of the University of Windsor’s top honour, the Olympic Shield, given to their Male Athlete of the Year. Kolade won it after leading the nation with 11.5 sacks. On the scholastic side Amusan graduated with a Master of Business Administration. I’m guessing he has made his family proud. Thanks to ‘The Lance’ for Kolade’s story. JACKSON FINDLAY | DB | WESTERN Western defensive back Jackson Findlay wants to be a cancer physician for children (Brandon VandeCaveye/Western Mustangs) The Western Mustangs football program could produce the next Laurent Duvernay-Tardif in defensive back Jackson Findlay. When he wasn’t winning the team’s Most Valuable Player Award for what he did on the field, Findlay was studying at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry! Whenever his football career comes to an end, he wants to be a cancer physician for children. Who isn’t rooting for him? Findlay has been volunteering since he was 11 years old and if he makes it into the CFL he will be the fourth generation of his family to play professionally in Canada. Is it any shock Jackson made the U SPORTS Top 8 Academic All-Canadians team, an incredible achievement bestowed on only eight individuals out of nearly 5,000 student athletes. As a rule, I will always cheer for a draftee who says: “Working with kids is a passion of mine. I want to be a pediatrics oncologist to give children with cancer a fighting chance.” Thanks to the official Western University website for all this information! NATE BEAUCHEMIN | DB | CALGARY Calgary Dinos defensive back Nate Beauchemin was named Canada West Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year (Calgary Athletics) Here are some things I leaned about Calgary Dinos defensive back Nate Beauchemin from a Smileville Dental 20 Questions interview he did. The Canada West Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year award winner loves watching men’s curling, chooses the aisle over a window seat, the best gift he ever got as child was the RC Monster Truck and has a level of knowledge about the Greenland Shark. I would say he needs to floss more (“once a week”) but I’m not here to judge. JOEY CORCORAN | REC | NEW HAMPSHIRE New Hampshire wide receiver Joey Corcoran has made 126 receptions for 1,476 yards and eight touchdowns over his collegiate career with the Wildcats (New Hampshire) From the “Athletes, They’re Just Like Us Department”, New Hampshire wide receiver Joey Corcoran tweeted out after the Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers: ‘Everybody thinking this is fake shows how crazy it is… #Lukatolakers’. DANIEL HOCEVAR | OL | GUELPH Guelph Gryphons offensive lineman Daniel Hocevar is listed at six-foot-four, 300 pounds (Kyle Rodriguez) Despite only being 11 years old when it was released in theatres, Guelph Gryphons offensive lineman Daniel Hocevar’s favourite movie is ‘Goodfellas’. SETH HUNDEBY | LB | SASKATCHEWAN Seth is the nephew of former CFL offensive lineman Curt Hundeby (Saskatchewan Athletics) From a Rob Vanstone article about University of Saskatchewan linebacker Seth Hundeby, I love this advice he got from his uncle Curt who was drafted in the CFL back in 2005. During a game when he was in the ninth grade Seth was going to be a running back when at the last moment he was moved to linebacker. Seeking advice from his uncle, Seth was given these wise words: “Basically, for today: See ball, get ball.” That wisdom obviously paid off. ETHAN JORDAN | REC | WILFRID LAURIER Jordan went over 1,000 receiving yards with Wilfrid Laurier in 2024 (Wilfrid Laurier Athletics) We are all tracking what is next for Wilfrid Laurier quarterback Taylor Elgersma but don’t forget to keep an eye on his top target, wide receiver Ethan Jordan. Jordan became the first player in over six decades of Laurier football to top 1,000 receiving yards for a season breaking Kurleigh Gittens Jr. ‘s 2017 record of 953 yards. RILEY MACLEOD | LB | WESTERN Western University linebacker Riley Macleod is studying with the School of Biomedical Engineering (Western Athletics) Back to Western University for yet another incredible story. Linebacker Riley Macleod, as covered by Western News, is studying with the School of Biomedical Engineering. When he was not busy taking down running backs Macleod was working with a mix of hand surgeons, radiologists and mechanical engineers on an intensive project all about the mechanics of wrist injuries that occur on the football field. I’m not smart enough to summarize all the work he is doing but you can find all the details here . Riley is that rare rookie who could immediately help out simultaneously on special teams and the medical team for any organization. ISAIAH KNIGHT | RB | UBC Knight averaged over just under 100 yards rushing a game during his four-year career at UBC (UBC Athletics) As a child of the 1980’s here’s hoping University of British Columbia running back Isaiah Knight, whose nickname is “Knight Rider” sticks in the CFL. Knight averaged over just under 100 yards rushing a game during his four-year career at UBC. ASHTON MILLER-MELANCON | DB | QUEEN’S Queen’s defensive back Ashton Miller-Melancon made 150 total tackles with the Gaels (James Paddle-Grant) Finally, I could go into great detail about all that Queen’s defensive back Ashton Miller-Melancon has accomplished during his university days but you can go to the school’s official website to find an in-depth look into yet another Top 8 Academic All-Canadian award winner. Instead, I would like to highlight Ashton’s Instagram account where you find this amazing answer about his dedication to all things on and off the football field. I am fired up to see what he can do at the Combine and one day on a CFL field. Good luck to all the invites and again thanks to the work of so many writers and journalists for the work they did telling these stories. Get all the top stories from across the league delivered to your inbox.
