Sep 3, 2019
Canadians playing in the NFL in 2019
Whether by way of U Sports, the NCAA or the CFL, there are plenty of Canadians playing football in the NFL. Some are starters in the league, while others are still fighting for an opportunity to make their mark. TSN.ca rounds up the current Canadian players on NFL rosters for the 2019 season
TSN.ca Staff
,Whether by way of U Sports, the NCAA or the CFL, there are plenty of Canadians playing football in the NFL. Some are starters in the league, while others are still fighting for an opportunity to make their mark.
Here’s a roundup of the current Canadian players on NFL rosters for the 2019 season:
DL Eli Ankou – Jacksonville Jaguars
Age: 25
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont.
School: UCLA (NCAA)
NFL experience: 3rd season
CFL rights holder: Ottawa Redblacks
Ankou signed with the Houston Texans after going undrafted in the 2017 draft, and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being waived by the Texans ahead of the 2017 campaign. He has recorded 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 10 games played.
TE Antony Auclair – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age: 26
Hometown: Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Que.
School: Laval (U Sports)
NFL Experience: 3rd season
CFL rights holder: Saskatchewan Roughriders
After going undrafted in 2017, Auclair signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has registered nine receptions for 73 yards in 24 games (13 starts).
DL Christian Covington – Dallas Cowboys
Age: 25
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.
School: Rice (NCAA)
NFL Experience: 5th season
CFL rights holder: BC Lions
Covington was selected in the sixth round (216th overall) of the 2015 draft by the Houston Texans. He played four seasons with the Texans, registering 65 tackles, 7.5 sacks and one forced fumble in 50 games (nine starts), before signing with the Cowboys in March.
DL Tyrone Crawford – Dallas Cowboys
Age: 29
Hometown: Windsor, Ont.
School: Boise State (NCAA)
NFL Experience: 7th season
CFL rights holder: None
The seven-year NFL veteran has spent his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys after being drafted in the third round (81st overall) of the 2012 draft. Crawford has amassed 177 tackles, 22.0 sacks and three forced fumbles in 92 games (58 starts).
OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif – Kansas City Chiefs
Age: 28
Hometown: Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.
School: McGill (U Sports)
NFL Experience: 6th season
CFL rights holder: Calgary Stampeders
Duvernay-Tardif was drafted in the sixth round (200th overall) in the 2014 draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. The offensive guard, who is also a medical doctor, has started 43 of 46 games he has appeared in with Kansas City.
LS L.P. Ladouceur – Dallas Cowboys
Age: 38
Hometown: Montreal, Que.
School: California (NCAA)
NFL Experience: 15th season
CFL rights holder: None
Ladouceur, who has spent his entire career with the Cowboys as the team’s long snapper, has never missed a game since signing with Dallas. Over his 14 previous seasons, Ladouceur has snapped in 221 games. He was named a Pro Bowler in 2014.
DL David Onyemata – New Orleans Saints
Age: 26
Hometown: Winnipeg, Man.
School: Manitoba (U Sports)
NFL Experience: 4th season
CFL rights holder: Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Manitoba product was drafted in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2016 draft. Onyemata has registered 91 tackles, 6.5 sacks and one forced fumble in 48 career NFL games (10 starts) all of which have come with the New Orleans Saints. The defensive lineman will miss the first game of the season after being suspended for violating the NFL’s substances of abuse policy.
DL Nathan Shepherd – New York Jets
Age: 25
Hometown: Ajax, Ont.
School: Fort Hays State (NCAA)
NFL Experience: 2nd season
CFL rights holder: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Shepherd was drafted in the third round (72nd overall) in the 2018 draft by the New York Jets. He recorded 15 tackles in 16 games (five starts) last season as a rookie.
LB Alex Singleton – Philadelphia Eagles (practice roster)
Age: 25
Hometown: Thousand Oaks, Calif.
School: Montana State (NCAA)
NFL Experience: Rookie
CFL rights holder: None
After failing to make the Philadelphia Eagles’ 53-man roster for the season, Singleton accepted an offer to be a part of the team’s practice squad. Singleton, who obtained Canadian citizenship in 2015, was named a CFL All-Star twice (2017, 18) in his three seasons with the Calgary Stampeders and was the league’s Most Oustanding Defensive Player in 2017. He also helped Calgary capture the 2018 Grey Cup.
DL Brent Urban – Tennessee Titans
Age: 28
Hometown: Mississauga, Ont.
School: Virginia (NCAA)
NFL Experience: 6th season
CFL rights holder: Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Prior to signing with the Tennessee Titans in April, Urban had spent all five of his previous seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, who drafted him in the fourth round of the 2014 draft (134th overall). After serving as mostly a reserve until last season, Urban started all 16 games of the 2018 campaign with the Ravens. He has recorded 33 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 41 career games.
Note: All player CFL rights holder information was obtained from 3downnation.com