For many of the top-ranked Canadian Football League prospects, draft day was full of celebration and ceremony.
Some stayed glued to TSN and CFL.ca to see if they were selected, while others took their minds off the stressful day by doing other things.
The Calgary Stampeders eventual top choice, Ameet Pall? His situation was far removed from those circumstances.
For Ameet Pall? Well, he was somewhere in between both of the aforementioned choices.
Holed up in the football office at tiny Wofford College, he had to resort to some decidedly low profile methods to learn of his selection.
“I was in their (football) office watching the draft,” said the Stampeders’ first pick.
“We couldn’t get it online for some reason. We had to click on the draft tracker and had to wait for the page to refresh. Then we saw my name popup we all jumped up, it was a cool time.”
It would be safe to say Wofford College is about as far from the CFL’s beaten track as could be. The school is located in Spartansburg, South Carolina and has just 1,500 students. It is known for very high academic standards and is not known for its football reputation.
Even Calgary General Manager and head coach John Hufnagel had to do a search to glean information about the school.
“I learned something this year that there is something called Wofford College,”smiled Hufnagel.
But once Hufnagel figured out where Wofford College was, he knew they had a good player in Pall.
“His coaches have nothing but high praise to say about the young man. He is a salt of the earth type person,” said Hufnagel in a post-draft interview.
“He is a great leader on and off the field and those are type of people we want to surround ourselves with.”
Hufnagel elaborated on Pall.
“He has a great motor, he never quits on a play. He is great sideline to sideline. A lot of times he gets into the backfield and creates havoc. “
As for the Montreal-born Pall he knows he will have to come to Calgary and work to shed his undersized label.
“I have been playing ball for a while now, starting at Vanier CEGEP,” said Pall from the team offices in South Carolina.
“Every level when it’s time for me to move up, it’s always the same, people saying ‘he’s too small’ and everything”
“At Wofford I was able to rush the passer and that’s a big attribute in the CFL. I’m a little undersized, I been hearing that all my life, but put me on the field and let’s go.”
Pall was one of eight Stampeder selections on draft day. Of that group, three are redshirts and will emerge in Calgary in 2013. Offensive lineman Billy Peach (19th), offensive lineman Bradley Erdos (27th) and defensive back Adam Berger (30th) are the redshirt prospects.
After Pall’s choice, Calgary was next on the board at fifteen. They chose Saskatchewan defensive back Keenan MacDougall. MacDougall ‘s health was a source of concern around the Canadian Football League.
He missed all of 2011 with a knee injury, but, if healthy, is considered to have a strong upside. Other choices who will compete for spots in camp are offensive lineman Mike Filer (31st choice), defensive lineman Jordan Spence (43rd) and linebacker Wilkderson Desouza (45th and final draft selection).
“It was general depth draft, “noted Calgary’s GM John Hufnagel. “With a priorities set for the depth, the defensive line, defensive safety and o-line were the positions we keyed. We have secured some players we think will help us achieve that.”
In short order, all the prospects will be at McMahon Stadium. And they can even leave their computers home.
