Courtesy Monty Mosher, The Chronicle Herald
AUS football fans have known for years that St. Francis Xavier X-Men linebacker Henoc Muamba has all the attributes to turn pro.
It appears the Canadian Football League now knows it as well.
The 22-year-old Muamba, St. F.X.’s all-time leader in tackles, has risen from a potential second-round selection in next month’s draft of Canadian talent into a bona fide top-three prospect.
In the CFL scouting bureau’s final rankings list, the six-foot, 229-pound Muamba moved from 10th to third. The Mississauga, Ont., product is second among CIS players with only Calgary receiver Anthony Parker rated ahead.
Muamba — agile enough to cover receivers and strong enough to rush the passer — said this week he’s delighted to be in demand and anxious to get a pro playbook in his hands.
"I’m somewhat of a perfectionist and I like to succeed in the things that I do," he said from Antigonish, where he’s been completing his school work in business information systems and working out with some current and former X-Men. "Ever since I picked up a football and started taking it seriously this has definitely been a goal of mine. It’s in reach now so it’s definitely an exciting time for me."
Muamba, a three-time all-Canadian, earned the Presidents’ Trophy as CIS defensive player in 2010 even though his X-Men struggled to a 1-7 record.
Offensive lineman Scott Mitchell, who plays at Rice University in Houston, Texas, is the No. 1 prospect. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers own the top pick in the draft on May 8.
Muamba turned some heads at the CFL’s evaluation camp in March.
He beat the field in the three-cone agility drill. He led all non-linemen in the bench press.
He led all linebackers in the 40-yard dash and shuttle run and the vertical and broad jumps.
"I spoke to every team at the e-camp and pretty much all of them gave me some good feedback," he said. "I was happy with the results from there."
The Bombers interviewed him twice, leading to speculation he’s got a shot to be selected first overall.
It will be back-to-back draft selections for the Muamba family after brother Cauchy, also a former X-Men, went to the B.C. Lions in the fifth round, 34th overall, a year ago.
The Muamba brothers have been part of the training group in Antigonish along with former X-Men receiver Akeem Foster, headed back to B.C. for a second season, and slotback Kwame Osei.
He’d love to play in the pros with his brother, but he’s got friends and family across the country and won’t be choosy. He’d be thrilled if Winnipeg liked him at No. 1.
"I just want to do some damage on the field," he said. "There is no preference for me. It wouldn’t be a problem for me to go anywhere."
He’ll always cherish his time in Antigonish.
"St F.X. has been nothing but great to me," he said. "I’ve spent a lot of time here and met a lot of people that helped me become the person I am today."
St. F.X. head coach Gary Waterman said scouts and general managers are as attracted to Muamba’s character as they are to his football skills.
"I’m getting really positive feedback," said Waterman. "They knew he was a good player, but they didn’t realize how good. They had several interviews with him and they learned what kind of person he was and they got a great insight into that."
Waterman knew all along what Muamba could bring to a team. "I was pretty fortunate to see his athletic prowess for a lot of years, not just here but in high school. I knew he was quite capable of getting to this point."
He’ll leave Antigonish as one of the school’s all-time top defensive players.
"He was just tremendous for our team," said Waterman. "Not only was he an outstanding player, but the quality of leadership he brought to the table were second to none."
Defensive lineman Mark Farraway (Verbeek) was the last X-Men taken in the first round. The Edmonton Eskimos selected Farraway eighth overall in 1997.