By Darrell Davis,
Regina Leader-Post
As far as the Saskatchewan Roughriders are concerned, they drafted the real McKoy.
David McKoy, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver from the University of Guelph, was the team’s first selection in Wednesday’s CFL draft. They took him ninth overall, with the first selection of the second round, ecstatic he was available at such a late stage of the annual lottery.
McKoy felt otherwise.
“As long as I’m picked, I didn’t care when it was,” McKoy said from his family’s home in Cambridge, Ont. “I was actually surprised it was so early.
“I had talked informally with some teams over dinner at the evaluation camp (in March) and at the end I talked to the Calgary Stampeders a bit. I didn’t know Saskatchewan was that interested, but it’s just joy to be drafted. Four years of hard work playing university football has hopefully paid off.”
McKoy, 23, is working toward a degree as a studio art major, which he expects to put on hold while pursuing a CFL career.
“I’ll see if I can come in and make the squad,” said McKoy. “I have one year (of college eligibility) remaining, so I could play another year at Guelph. But when you get drafted you really want to make the team.
“I want a chance to contribute. I’ve been counted on to make plays, I was a playmaker in college, so I would like to help that way. But I’ll help any way I can, even on special teams.”
McKoy returned punts for the Guelph Gryphons last season, gaining 287 yards on 23 returns, including a 118-yarder for a touchdown. In eight games he also caught 48 passes for 858 yards and eight touchdowns. McKoy’s a speedster who’s capable of going vertical for a football.
“He’s a different type of receiver for us,” said Roughriders head coach Kent Austin.
McKoy joins a crop of non-import receivers that includes veterans Jason French and Corey Grant and two former first-round picks — Nathan Hoffart, who didn’t play as a rookie and missed last season while recovering from reconstructive knee surgery; and Andy Fantuz, who became a starter last season as a rookie.
“This gives us options, which is what you want going into training camp,” said Roughriders general manager Eric Tillman.
Although the Roughriders were thinking about drafting a linebacker with their first selection, the opportunity to grab McKoy was too good to pass up. Still, they grabbed highly touted Wilfrid Laurier linebacker Yannick Carter in the third round. By then, McKoy was celebrating.
“My parents weren’t here when I got drafted,” said McKoy. “But we’ve been talking on the phone. Now everybody’s getting together to celebrate, my parents, an aunt, my grandmother.”
McKoy expects to arrive in Regina later this month. It will be his second trip to Saskatchewan, having visited Saskatoon last season during the Vanier Cup as a CIS first-team all-star.
