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. During the playoffs, College Connection looks at former college stars in each game who are making waves in the CFL. Their teams will meet in an upcoming playoff contest, televised in the U.S.
East Final: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Toronto Argonauts, November 18, available on CBC.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Charles Roberts, RB, Sacramento State Hornets. The only numbers you need to remember regarding Roberts’ collegiate career (1997-2000) are 9, 13, 27 and 409. During his tenure as a Hornet, he set or tied nine NCAA I-AA records, 13 Big Sky Conference Records and 27 Sacramento State records. The 409 represents his rushing yards in one game in 1999 against Idaho State. At the time, it was the only record of a running back running for more than 400 yards in an NCAA game. Roberts left college as a true football superstar and signed with Winnipeg in 2001.
Roberts wasted no time making his mark on the league, finishing his rookie campaign as an All-Star and posting the third-highest combined yards total (238) in Grey Cup history in a loss to Calgary. He went on to lead the league in combined yards in 2002, led the league in rushing the year after that and matched that honour in 2005 and 2006, winning several All-Star nods and other accolades along the way. In 2007 Roberts was “only” second in the CFL in rushing but set a career high with 16 rushing touchdowns. But Roberts is still searching for his first CFL championship, and the only thing standing in the way of a return trip to the Grey Cup is Sunday’s contest against Toronto.
Toronto Argonauts: Jonathan Brown, DE, Tennessee Volunteers. During Brown’s tenure at Tennessee (1994-1997) all eyes were on the offence and future superstar Peyton Manning. But Brown earned his share of accolades on the other side of the ball, lettering all four years of his collegiate career. He was also named to the All-Freshman second team, and worked his way up to an All-SEC selection in his senior season. When he left the Volunteers, Brown’s 25 sacks were good for third all-time in school history. The Vols were 3-1 in Bowl games during his four years, with appearances in the Orange, Gator and Citrus (twice) Bowls, and the team claimed the SEC East Division crown in 1997.
After college, Brown was drafted by the Green bay packers in the third round. He would eventually play for the NFL, NFL Europe and Arena Football before joining Toronto in 2004 (the last year the Argos won the Grey Cup). In 2005 and 2006 he was an East Division All-Star, and this year he was named the team’s Outstanding Player. Brown also set a personal best with 47 tackles in 2007, and his 13 sacks was good for second in the CFL. He’ll spend Sunday afternoon chasing down Kevin Glenn and the rest of the Blue Bombers as Toronto tried to secure a spot in the Grey Cup.
West Final: Saskatchewan Roughriders at B.C. Lions, November 18, available on CBC.
Saskatchewan Roughriders: Corey Holmes, RB, Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils. Holmes only played two seasons (1999-2000) at Mississippi Valley State, but that was plenty of time to make his mark on the school’s record books and the Southwestern Athletics Conference. In 22 games he set a school record by running for 2,897 yards with 21 touchdowns. Both seasons he was named All-SWAC, and both seasons he was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year. He had 13 games with at least 100 yards and he reached 200 yards in seven games (a third of his appearances). When he left the Delta Devils, his rushing yards were good for 10th all-time in the SWAC.
Holmes signed with Saskatchewan in 2001 and began making his mark the following year, logging productive seasons through 2005, when he was named the CFL’s Outstanding Special teams Player. After that season he went to Hamilton, where he led the Ticats in rushing in 2006. Now, back with the Roughriders, he helped the team advance to the West Final by catching eight passes for 83 yards in last week’s game against Calgary. With starter Wes Cates still ailing, Holmes will have a chance to contribute as Saskatchewan tries to reach their first Grey Cup in 10 years.
B.C. Lions: Geroy Simon, DE, Maryland Terrapins. Long before Simon was reaching milestones in the CFL, he was doing the same in the ACC. As a sophomore in 1994, he set an ACC record with 77 catches, 891 yards and five scores, which is also a Maryland record for receptions. The following year, he set another team record with 16 catches in one game (versus Florida State). By the time he finished his collegiate career, Simon had 10 touchdowns receptions and was ranked second in school history with 185 receptions and 2,059 receiving yards.
He had a good start in the CFL as a contributor for Winnipeg in 1999 and 2000. But when he signed with the Lions in 2001, his career took off: He led the team with 50 receptions in 2002, had a 1,000-yard season in 2003 and became just the third player in team history to catch at least 100 passes in a season in 2004 (when he had 104 receptions for 1,750 yards, also a team record). In 2005 he led the team in receptions and receiving yards (again), and was top-five in the CFL in both categories. But everything came together last year, when Simon logged 105 catches, 1,856 yards, 15 touchdowns, the CFL Most Outstanding Player Award and a Grey Cup victory over Montreal. This year, he led the team with 1293 receiving yards and will look to reach his third Grey Cup as a Lion with a victory over Saskatchewan.
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)
