By Michael Murillo,
CFL.ca
NCAA football fans don’t have to lose track of their favourite players when they leave their competitive teams and conferences. Each week, College Connection looks at a pair of former college stars who are making waves today in the CFL. Their teams will meet in an upcoming match up, televised in the U.S.
This week: Montreal Alouettes at Toronto Argonauts, July 26, available on TSN.
Montreal: Robert Edwards, RB (Georgia Bulldogs). Before Edwards was scoring touchdowns as a running back, he was making a name for himself on defence: Edwards actually came to Georgia as a cornerback. In his sophomore season (1994) he started every game on defence, registering four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. But he made the switch to running back, was voted team captain in 1996 and led the team in rushing as a junior. As a senior he continued his success, earning second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC honours. Despite converting to the running back position, Edwards left Georgia ranked among the top 10 in school history for yards-per-carry (5.3) and rushing touchdowns (27).
Edwards ran for more than 1,100 yards in his rookie season with the New England Patriots before injuring his knee and missing several seasons. He came to the Montreal in 2005 and has led the team in rushing both seasons. He also led the league in rushing touchdowns (17) and finished third in rushing yards (1,155) last year, helping the Alouettes reach the Grey Cup.
Toronto: Willie Pile, LB, (Virginia Tech Hokies). Pile was a big part of the Hokies’ defence, starting for three years from 2000 to 2002. In his senior year, he was chosen as a second-team All-American by The Sporting News and also earned second-team All-Big East honours. Also in 2002, when Virginia Tech played the Miami Hurricanes, Pile intercepted a Ken Dorsey pass and returned in 97 yards for a touchdown.
Recording interceptions is nothing new for Pile; his 14 career picks ranked him third in Virginia Tech history, and his 276 return yards placed him second all-time.
Pile is new to the CFL, signing with the Argonauts earlier this year. But in just a few games, he’s already registered 16 tackles and a sack. While Montreal has just one win this season, every one of their games has been decided by less than 10 points, making this a good match-up for Pile and the rest of the Toronto defence.
If you’d like to see a specific school or player featured in College Connection, contact Michael Murillo at vivamurillo@hotmail.com.
(The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily of the Canadian Football League)
