There is off-season fun looking for the pattern in all these training camp hopefuls.
How about Maeko #00 an non-import, born in Mozambique playing at Saint Mary's University?
"2002: The B.C. Lions selected Maeko in the fifth round (41st overall) of the 2002 CFL Canadian College Draft…was mistakenly listed as a fourth year player when he had actually just completed his freshman season, thus should have not been eligible for the draft which was realized after its conclusion. "
Bet he was surprised to get the phone call. A wide receiver should always be ready for the ball!
Yes they did; I think and I stand to be corrected, it was during the Horn Chen "stewardship". They drafted someone and then found out after the draft that the player had passed away.
The drafting dead guys (twice) thing and the Maeko situation perhaps demonstrates the cluelessness of some of the CFL thinkers and so-called scouts over the years; a smart CFL team might have some respect for and knowledge of the NI/Canadian talent pool; some from the clique of mostly American decision makers who’ve often been in place in the CFL for years now, clearly have not at times. These were embarassing moments for the CFL; hopefully that type of pathetic stupidity doesn’t happen again.
It was during the dispersal draft of the US teams in 1996.
The media made a big deal out of it. The remaining teams were just drafting the players from the teams that had folded. I think the guy had been on Shreveport’s roster.
And local hero Garney Henley was the Ottawa GM or Player Personnel guy at the time - Earl McCrae who was a columnist for the Ottawa Sun at the time mercilessly "carved" old #26.