Five Fun Facts to Know About Each Als Draft Pick

The team bolstered its roster at the 2018 CFL Draft with 10 talented and brilliant young men. Learn more about each one of them – football stats, heart-warming family stories, favourite meal and all!

TREY RUTHERFORD, OFFENSIVE LINEMAN

1-He hurried to Montreal post-draft (with his parents, sister and girlfriend), right after handing in his final college exam at UConn. Talk about being eager to come to MTL! He’s even looking to brush up his French.
2-Although he has the size and shape of a CFL guard at 6’05, 289 lbs, Trey is an incredibly versatile player and has seen some action at fullback, tackle and guard.
3-Athleticism runs in his family: growing up, his father played soccer, basketball and football, while his sister Sydney is currently a member of the Harmcum College soccer team in Pennsylvania.
4-Trey played versus Boston College at historic Fenway Park last November (he knows all about centennial stadiums…), where he met Kavis Reed in person for the first time. He had been coveted by the Als scouting team all season-long.
5-Off the field, he is the perfect example of a gentle giant. Although he may not be the smiliest of them all, his girlfriend Deborah taught us a trick: if you do want to see him grin, tell him to show his dimples. It works, we tried.

BO BANNER, DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

1-He was born in Vancouver and spent the first eight years of his life there. His family then moved to Bellingham, Washington to accommodate his father who was in the navy. It will be his first time in Montreal.
2-When asked what his first reaction after seeing his name on the draft tracker was, he literally said he EXPLODED. Then screamed. Then, got bear hugged by his dad.
3- In 31 games with the Central Washington Wildcats, he amassed 74 tackles, 19 tackles for losses, 7.5 sacks, three knockdowns and one forced fumble.
4-He will be an incredible student. After being coached by Kimo von Oelhoffen (played 12 years as a DT in the NFL) at Central Washington, Bo says that the one thing he is really looking forward to is having D-Line coach Bert Hill and players like John Bowman teach him how to become a true pro. Be prepared guys, Bo will be watching you like a hawk.
5-If he could be any character on TV, he would be Rock Lee from the Naruto Show because he trains extremely hard and is an absolute beast. Just. Like. Him.

JEAN-GABRIEL POULIN, LINEBACKER

1-He attended Als games at Percival Molson Stadium quite often as a kid, with his father, and particularly enjoyed watching Quebecers Étienne Boulay and Matthieu Proulx play.
2-In 2017, the Western U Mustang was elected an OUA All-Star for the second year in a row and earned a first team all-Canadian selection.
3-He is looking forward to meeting Hénoc Muamba whom he considers as one of the best, if not THE best, linebackers in the league.
4-He barely spoke English before heading to Vanier College after high school. Watch this video and see how quick of a learner he is.
5-He did a major in Finance with a minor in psychology and would eventually want to complete a Master’s degree in Sports Psychology and pursue a coaching career.

KC BAKKER, OFFENSIVE LINEMAN

1- The 6’8” and 320 lbs. tank was part of the Carleton Ravens line that helped running back Nathan Carter earn 1,110 rushing yards in just eight games, the second-highest total in the country.
2-He knows that Montreal is a rather steep city and his go-to French words are omelette au fromage. Needless to say, it’ll be his first time in Montreal coming May 19.
3-KC (short for Kelsey Christopher, cat’s out of the bag) is a true lineman. He’s been playing the game since the age of 11 and has always been blocking for his offence team mates.
4-He is looking forward to reuniting with buddy and former Raven Zach Annen.
5-His typical game day meal is an omelette au fromage. How convenient.

RYDER STONE, RUNNING BACK

1-Ryder might just be a genius. He was recruited by Princeton, Harvard and Brown. He is a soon-to-be graduate from Dartmouth. No biggie. Just a wide array of Ivy League Schools… Oh, and let’s not forget that he was named on the NFF Hampshire Honor Society.
2-He was born in Fort Worth, Texas to an American father and a Canadian mother. He moved to BC when he was 12 and then to Calgary. As a kid, he played in Kerrville, TX, just like Johnny Football, and grew up on ranches. So the name Ryder seems quite fitting (although he insists his mom wanted to call him Rolling).
3-He currently has a full-time job working for a consulting company in New Hampshire. The company consults on stone. Stone. Ryder Stone. This just keeps getting better.
4-The running back gained 1,502 yards on 309 runs and added 20 majors during his time with the Big Green. He also caught 46 passes for 469 yards and a major.
5-He is an incredibly calm and well-spoken man and describes himself as a very leveled person. Looking at other Montreal Alouettes RBs – Sutton, Logan, Lavoie -, it seems like he has the right character traits to fit into the group.

PAUL KOZACHUK, LINEBACKER

1-The London, ON, native played four seasons with the Varsity Blues at the University of Toronto, starting as a cornerback and switching, in his third year, to linebacker. Last fall, he finished second in his team with 53 tackles, two forced fumbles while recovering one.
2-He originally wanted to spend draft night, alone, locked in his room because he was slightly nervous.  His parents and sister ended up driving up to Toronto and the family patiently watched the event unravel from their hotel room until Paul got THE call from Director of National Scouting, Miles Gorrell.
3-One of the first things he did after getting drafted to Montreal was switching the language on his phone to French. Love it.
4-As a kid, he tried climbing the stairs of the St-Joseph’s Oratory on his knees. He won’t repeat the experience.
5-If he could meet any athlete in the world, it would be strongman Hafpor Björnsson.

ÉTIENNE MOISAN, RECEIVER

1-In 2017, Étienne caught 27 passes for 385 yards and three majors with the Université Laval Rouge et Or.
2-He and fellow Alouettes draft pick Jean-Gabriel Poulin were on the same squad at Vanier College.
3-His favourite Alouette ever is SJ Green. Ironically, the second round 6 pick that allowed the Als to draft Étienne, was part of the trade with the Argonauts in 2017.
4-Étienne’s nickname has been Moose since his Vanier College days. While one would think his imposing figure is behind it, Moose comes from when his Anglo team mates at Vanier College attempted to pronounce Moisan.
5-He is looking forward to meeting the infamous Nik Lewis. He has always admired Nik’s consistency and physicality.
6-His favourite childhood movies are The Lion King and Space Jam. We approve of these choices.

KHADIM MBAYE, LINEBACKER

1-He had a draft party in a cabin with his friends and family, including his six brothers and two sisters. That’s right, he has eight siblings, and they were all ecstatic when Khadim got the call from Alouettes National Scout Eric Deslauriers.
2-The first professional football game he attended was an Als versus Argos match at Percival Molson Stadium. It was a birthday gift from his uncle.
3-The highlight of his college career with the Gee-Gees was his first year, in general. He got to live on his own, he took English classes, he was a starter from the get go and his team made the playoffs.
4-He is passionate for graphic design and hopes to start his own business in that field one day. He might just create logos for football teams, who knows?!
5-If he could play like any pro out there, it would be Von Miller because he always wanted to become a great pass rusher.

RICHMOND NKETIAH, RECEIVER

1-What excites him the most about the Montreal Alouettes is the process. Since High School, Richmond has always been part of teams that were in a building or rebuilding phase and he loves the idea of climbing his way up.
2-He is excited to feed off the competition among receivers at training camp and is looking forward to meeting Josh Freeman.
3-His biggest pride is his whatever it takes attitude. If he had to wake up at 2 am every day to become the greatest football player, he would do it. He is 100% up to any challenge.
4-He took Sports Management at Waterloo. The program is one of the best in the world in that field.
5-His favourite candy is sour gummy worms and chocolate-covered almonds.

LEKAN IDOWU, DEFENSIVE BACK

1-He was born in Nigeria, grew up in Houston, TX, and, in 2011, his family moved to beautiful Niagara, Ontario. Thanks to his citizen of the world status, he speaks three languages: Yoruba, Spanish and English.
2-Lekan placed first in the vertical and broad jumps at the Toronto Regional Combine this winter. He has both his parents to thank for his athleticism – his father played basketball in Nigeria and his mother ran the 400m and 800m.
3-His ability to focus on the goal to attain is his strongest character trait. He is relentless and will always keep giving his all on the field regardless of what happens throughout a game.
4-He can play the drums and sing. Or at least he could, before puberty hit. He might just be the next Justin Bieber.
5-His best football memory is when, in High School, he played his rivals from down the street and the game went into four overtimes. Lekan ended up making a decisive interception…  No doubt his genetic athleticism came in handy!