The CFL Combine is a unique event that pits players from various backgrounds against one another as they look to make the jump to the professional level.
The best part of the event — aside from getting to watch some football in the middle of March — is all the tidbits you learn along the way. These fun facts often get lost in the back pages of a notebook, but this year we at 3DownNation have compiled a few to create a standalone column. Enjoy.
Eight years later
Windsor defensive lineman Kolade Amusan has been in college for a long time — like, a really long time. So long, in fact, that he was once a collegiate teammate of seven-year veteran quarterback Chris Streveler.
The two-time first-team OUA all-star redshirted at the University of South Dakota in 2017, which was Streveler’s final year in college. Streveler made his way to the Blue Bombers the following year, while Amusan spent the next seven years at South Dakota, Highland Community College, Davenport University, and eventually Windsor.
Amusan will turn 27 in November, making him one of the oldest prospects in this year’s draft. It’ll be interesting to see how that affects his stock — he’s ready to contribute right now, though he may have already reached his ceiling as a pass rusher.
Walking on
Windsor running back Joey Zorn was born in Flint, Mich. but qualified for Canadian status because he spent three-plus years playing U Sports and graduated from the program, a clause that was added in the most recent collective bargaining agreement.
Zorn graduated high school in 2019 but didn’t join the Lancers until 2022 and there’s nothing online that explains what he was up to during the intermediate years. On Sunday, he told 3DownNation that he was a walk-on safety at Michigan State University during the spring semester of 2020 but didn’t enroll in school to maintain his eligibility.
The six-foot-one, 213-pound ball carrier, who is arguably the top running back available in this year’s draft, committed to Windsor because his sister-in-law’s father, Rob McElwain, played at the school before being selected by the Ottawa Rough Riders in the sixth round of the 1996 CFL Draft.
Breaking the mould
It’s usually a safe bet that prospects born and raised in Saskatchewan grew up diehard Roughriders fans, idolizing players like Darian Durant, Weston Dressler, John Chick, and Tyron Brackenridge. Surprisingly, that’s not the case for Seth Hundeby, the first-team All-Canadian linebacker out of the University of Saskatchewan.
“I grew up, I didn’t really watch a ton of CFL. Watching CFL has never really been ingrained in me,” Hundeby told 3DownNation. “Kinda the same (with the NFL, too). I love playing the sport and I watch a ton of our film to prep for our games, but at the end of the day, I just don’t watch a ton of football.”
The six-foot-three, 251-pound defender tested exceptionally well for his size and could easily have a great CFL career. It just doesn’t sound like he’ll spend his off days watching other teams play on TSN.
QB only
Montreal Carabins standout Jonathan Sénécal is a quarterback through and through, he told 3DownNation this week.
The former Hec Crighton Trophy winner didn’t completely rule out a possible position change but certainly wants to stay at quarterback entering the professional ranks. He’s played the position almost exclusively since age eight or nine and has attended training camp with the Alouettes twice as part of the CFL’s quarterback internship program.
Jackson Tachinski, the reigning Canada West MVP out of the University of Manitoba, exclusively took reps at receiver during the CFL Combine as he looks to transition to a new position. Previous U Sports quarterbacks who achieved success in the CFL at other positions include Brad Sinopoli, Mathieu Bertrand, and Marc-Olivier Brouillette.
No more rice
Western offensive lineman Alex Berwick weighed 343 pounds at the East-West Bowl in 2023 but has since cut a considerable amount of weight, weighing in at 306 pounds in Regina this week.
The native of Ottawa, Ont., who was named a second-team All-Canadian this past season, credited nutritionist Dr. Callum Cowan for helping him change his eating habits. He no longer eats eggs, rice, or dairy, instead opting for steak, chicken, and sweet potatoes.
Berwick also worked with fellow Western product David Mackie, who recently became the president of the CFL Players’ Association, to revamp his gym routine, exercising three or four hours per day five or six days per week.
Short yardage specialist
North Dakota tight end Quincy Vaughn spent his first three years on campus with the Fighting Hawks as a quarterback behind Tommy Schuster, who rewrote the school’s record book over five seasons, throwing for 9,075 yards and 63 touchdowns.
Vaughn sometimes got under centre to perform short-yardage duty, however, scoring 17 career rushing touchdowns. He told 3DownNation that he only got stuffed on a fourth-down sneak once.
With the CFL’s recent trend toward fullbacks performing short-yardage duties — Ante Litre and David Mackie did so last season for Hamilton and B.C., respectively — Vaughn could be the next one to take the reins. At six-foot-four and 260 pounds, he should have little trouble pushing the pile at the professional level.
Five or six
The hype surrounding draft time can sometimes lead prospects to experience delusions of grandeur. Between the influence of family members, agents, coaches, and trainers, athletes don’t always have the most realistic expectations for what their futures might hold.
Wilfrid Laurier receiver Ethan Jordan, who caught 243 passes for 3,274 yards over four seasons with the Golden Hawks, isn’t one of them. The native of Chatham, Ont. seems awfully down-to-earth, predicting that he’ll get drafted in round five or six.
After running a 4.44-second forty-yard dash at five-foot-eleven and 177 pounds — 11 pounds heavier than he was listed at last season — he might just be the third receiver taken in the 2025 CFL Draft. Teams are clearly taking him seriously as eight of them — all but the Montreal Alouettes — interviewed him in Regina.
Lindros hater
Western offensive lineman Erik Andersen, a possible first-round pick in this year’s draft, told 3DownNation that the spelling of his last name comes from his father’s Danish heritage. The spelling of his first name, however, was chosen for a much different reason.
Andersen’s mom wanted to name him Eric, but his father wasn’t so keen on the moniker. As a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, he hated NHL star Eric Lindros, so the idea of giving his son the same name was unthinkable. The compromise was simple: change the spelling. Hence, Erik instead of Eric.
Unfortunately, Andersen suffered a concussion during on-field drills on Saturday, which prematurely ended his performance at the event.
Clean day
After two top prospects suffered injuries on Saturday, Sunday was a relatively clean day at the CFL Combine. Natan Girourard-Langlois, a fullback out of Montreal, went down with a groin injury but it doesn’t appear serious.
The on-field portion of the CFL Combine remains a point of contention for some stakeholders. Talent evaluators love it and agents hate it. The prospects seem to enjoy it — football players generally like to play football — but the top players don’t want to risk injury, while the lower-ranked players want every chance to improve their stock.
It doesn’t appear the event will change anytime soon, but there’s a reason why some players fight against participating in everything.
Generational prospect
Corey Mace, the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, fell in love with the CFL as a child when Brooks Findlay, a linebacker who played five seasons in Regina, gave his family free game tickets and an autographed player card.
Brooks is the uncle of Western defensive back Jackson Findlay, who is expected to be a top pick in the 2025 CFL Draft. The six-foot-three, 207-pound defender comes from a CFL family, as his great-grandfather, Stephen, grandfather, Greg, and father, Anthony, all spent time as players in the league.
Saskatchewan has two picks in the top 14 of this year’s pickfest, which means Mace might draft the nephew of the person who inspired him so many years ago. With the Riders set to start two Canadians in their secondary, Findlay would be a perfect fit for their ratio and make an impact on special teams.
Screensaver
The upper viewing area at the AffinityPlex, where all on-field drills were held in Regina, was reserved for members of the media, though a few talent evaluators used the vantage point to assess the prospects in attendance.
John Hufnagel, the former head coach and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders who pivoted to an advisory role last year, was one of them, sitting alongside those reporting on this year’s CFL Combine.
If you’ve ever wondered what Hufnagel has as the home screen on his iPad, it’s a photo of himself playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from the early 1980s.
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