HAMMOND, La. – Former Southeastern Louisiana defensive end Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund was selected in the first round by the Calgary Stampeders in Thursday’s Canadian Football League Draft.
Adeyemi-Berglund was the third overall pick. He is the first Lion to be selected in the CFL Draft. Three Lions were selected in last year’s XFL Draft. A total of 19 former SLU players have been selected in the NFL Draft with Harlan Miller, a sixth round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2016, the most recent.
The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada native will continue his athletic endeavors as a professional in his native country after a productive collegiate career in Hammond. A two-time All-Southland Conference and All-Louisiana selection for the Lions, Adeyemi-Berglund finished his career among the program’s all-time leaders with 28 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.
Adeyemi-Berglund also was a standout academically during his time at SLU, twice earning CoSIDA Academic All-District and Southland Conference All-Academic recognition. Adeyemi-Berglund, who earned his degree in exercise science with a 3.81 grade point average, became the first player in school history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-American honors following his senior season and was also named to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Society.
“The Calgary Stampeders are fortunate to have Isaac join their team,” Southeastern head coach Frank Scelfo said. “What they’re getting is a young man who will be a positive catalyst on and off the field. Isaac was not only a great player, but a great leader for us and Calgary can expect the same impact.”
The Southeastern football program has several recent ties to the CFL. SLU assistant coach (running backs/passing game coordinator) Kerry Joseph, a former Grey Cup champion, was named to the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Plaza of Honour last August. 2019 Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and former Lion All-American quarterback Bryan Bennett spent the past two seasons in the CFL, most recently with the Roughriders in 2019.
Adeyemi-Berglund’s former teammates will open the 2020 season at Tulane on Sept. 3.
Courtesy: lionsports.net
