[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
Rob Vanstone Shortly after running a breezy 40-yard dash at the CFL Combine on Friday, Jackson Findlay discussed a remarkable and rare 4.0. He is, after all, a fourth -generation football player. Findlay hopes to soon follow in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, grandfather, father and uncle by playing Canadian professional football. “My family has devoted a lot of themselves to this league and this game,” the Western Mustangs defensive back said at Regina’s AffinityPlex on Friday, during a break in the testing component of the 2025 Combine. “It’s something that I take with a lot of pride — representing my name and my family at the CFL level.” CFL COMBINE » View the full 2025 CFL Combine roster and results » Who’s the top receiver at the 2025 CFL Combine? » 3 CFL Combine standout performers from Sunday » 3 players that translated CFL Combine results to the field » Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter DB Jackson Findlay is trying to be the fourth generation in his family to play professional football (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca) The connection precedes the formal formation of the CFL and dates back to 1935, when Stephen Findlay played for the Hamilton Tigers (now Tiger-Cats) in the 23 rd Grey Cup. Stephen’s son, Greg Findlay, was a linebacker with the BC Lions from 1962 to 1973. In 1964, he was a member of the Lions’ first Grey Cup-winning team. Anthony Findlay (Greg’s son) was a defensive back with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1994. Brooks Findlay, Anthony’s brother, played linebacker for Saskatchewan and BC during a six-year CFL career that began in 1993. (Their brother, Scott, was a running back with the UBC Thunderbirds in 1988, 1989 and 1991.) Now it is Jackson’s turn to carry on a rich family tradition. “I was born into it, but this is my passion,” he said. “This is something that is really meaningful to me personally. In that sense, it’s really cool.” Findlay, who is from North Vancouver, B.C., is ranked as a top prospect for the April 29 CFL Draft. He was ranked fifth overall in the CFL Scouting Bureau’s fall rankings and eighth in the winter evaluation. A two-time OUA First-Team All-Star, he was named the Ontario conference’s defensive player of the year in 2024. On Friday, Findlay registered top-10 placings in the broad jump (eighth at 10 feet, 4¼ inches) and 40-yard dash (10 th at 4.57 seconds). He is also in the upper echelon from an academic perspective — as reflected by his studies at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “Medical science in general is one of those things where you’re providing a service to people and you’re giving back to them,” Findlay said. “It’s something that’s constantly needed. In that sense, I gravitated towards it. “In my second year, I got to specialize. I had taken some courses in oncology and I also had some family friends and family in the past who had suffered from cancer. That’s something that immediately drew me to specialize in cancer biology. “That’s something I want to keep doing whenever I’m done playing football.” In the meantime, he wants to maintain his dedication to volunteering. It was 10 years ago — at the tender age of 11 — when he first volunteered. In 2020, he received the British Columbia High School Football Association’s Community Involvement Scholarship Award. “Volunteerism is something that has been a big part of my family,” Findlay said. “Because of that, when I went to my high school — Vancouver College — and they had mandatory service hours, that was something I thought was really meaningful to me. You can pick what you want to do volunteer-wise, but you’ve got to do something, so you kind of find what you like to do. “I was volunteering when I was 11 at Challenger Baseball, which is an organization in Vancouver that helps physically and mentally challenged kids play baseball. I was acting as a buddy. I’ve been a buddy for a young boy for several years now. “It’s super-amazing and a super-humbling experience. Because of that, when I went to high school I wanted to keep doing it. Then in university, when it wasn’t mandatory, it was ingrained in me. “I wanted to keep doing it and help out with our athlete student council with the Boys & Girls Club and other local initiatives. I’m even coaching our women’s flag team there. It’s really something that I love to do and that’s why I do it.” How does he do it all? “I like to put 100 per cent into everything, but sometimes you have to co-ordinate your days,” Findlay replied. “For example, you allocate one day for academics and one day there’s maybe more film study and one day you’re going to set aside a certain amount of time to volunteer. “My time management skills have definitely needed to develop, especially throughout university, but I think each part of that uses a different part of me. “When I study, it’s not the same part of me that plays football. It balances out, so I can do one all day and I don’t feel tired doing the other. With the fact that those three things are passions of mine, it really helps me each day. “As I go into the professional level, school will be on the back burner. Then I can fully dedicate myself to football and still do my volunteer work. That’s really exciting to me. I’ve never had my whole week to watch film without having to do some schoolwork.” Very soon, Findlay will be introduced to that aspect of life while emulating his great-grandfather, grandfather, father and uncle. “This is something that I love and my family has supported me along the way,” he said. “They know that I take pride in my academics and the extracurriculars that I do and, as well, I take pride in my football. “Football is definitely a big part of me and something that I want to pursue for as long as I can, because I love this game. I love what it brings. I love the culture, the people, and it’s something that I’m not ready to give up until I fully have to.” Get all the top stories from across the league delivered to your inbox.
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