By Jack Bedell,
MontrealAlouettes.com
On March 4-6, 53 of Canada’s top football prospects had a chance to show off their abilities in front of CFL coaches and front office personnel at the CFL’s Evaluation Camp in preparation for the 2011 CFL Canadian draft.
With well over 700 players eligible for this year’s draft, these players’ performances at e-camp were absolutely critical to their chances of being selected.
Out of the pack of athletes invited to Toronto for the camp, several had ties to Quebec football. Here’s a quick look at four local players whose performances drew some serious attention:
1) Gregory Alexandre—(6’2”, 285 lbs., DL, Montreal) Dominated in one-on-one drills and had a respectable showing in the bench press finishing third with 26 reps. Alexandre definitely showed he had the power and leverage to play at the next level.
2) Mathieu Boulay—(6’2”, 250 lbs., DL, Bishop’s) Showed nice burst in one-on-one drills and demonstrated his straight-line speed with a 4.84 40-yard dash to top all linemen. Boulay has the goods to contribute on special teams right away and could easily handle playing time at DE.
3) Mo Forbes—(6’3”, 300 lbs., DT, Concordia) A late addition to the E-camp roster, Forbes drew the attention of CFL Draft guru Duane Forde with a solid performance in one-on-one drills. Forde considers Forbes a “sleeper” in this year’s draft with nice power and a quick first step.
4) Edem Nyamadi—(5’9”, 196 lbs., RB, Concordia) Posted the best shuttle time at E-camp with a 3.97. Nyamadi has the prototypical size, quickness, and athleticism that CFL teams are looking to add to their Canadian content.
This year’s CFL draft is set to have as much media coverage and analysis as any in recent memory. With TSN throwing its attention to the draft in full force and with all eight teams in serious prep mode for decisions that will affect their Canadian depth for years to come, it’s more important than ever for non-import prospects to get their share of time under the microscope. It’s also harder than ever for Canadian prospects to distinguish themselves in a deepening talent pool.
These four players, however, came out of e-camp weekend in great shape and headed toward bright futures in the league. We’ll see on May 8 where all that work gets them.
