Former AUS players, including Vanier Cup winners Dave Stala and Steve Morley, dot the rosters of seven of eight CFL teams entering the 2011 season beginning later this week.
Close to 20 players with ties to Acadia, Saint Mary’s. St. Francis Xavier and Mount Allison survived the CFL final roster cuts on Saturday. The teams cut to 46 players on the active roster.
The regular season opens on Thursday with the B.C. Lions visiting the Montreal Alouettes.
The Calgary Stampeders have four ex-AUS players on active duty, two from Saint Mary’s and one each from St. F.X. and Mount A.
Linebacker/long snapper Tim St. Pierre and linebacker Karl McCartney are the former Huskies with former X-Men offensive lineman Steve Myddelton and former Mounties defensive lineman Akwasi Antwi the others.
The Lions have safety Cauchy Muamba and wide receiver Akeem Foster, both formerly of the X-Men on the active roster.
Offensive lineman Adam Baboulas and defensive end Chris Hodgson, both former Huskies, have been named to B.C.’s practice roster.
Defensive back Mike Miller, a 22-year-old rookie free-agent signing out of Acadia, stuck with the Edmonton Eskimos. Corbin Sharun, a scrambling quarterback in his days at St. F.X., also made the Eskimos at defensive back.
Linebacker Mike McCullough, who played at St. F.X., is now a nine-year CFL veteran with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He has 63 tackles over the past two seasons.
Kicker Justin Palardy of Truro, a conference record-setter in his time at Saint Mary’s, is with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He made 26 of 30 field-goal tries last year in Winnipeg after beginning the year with Hamilton.
Halifax’s Morley, a one-time NFL player with the New York Jets, will man Winnipeg’s offensive line.
CFL No. 1 draft pick Henoc Muamba, the top defensive player in the CIS last year for the X-Men, starts the season on the Bombers’ injury list with a knee problem, but is expected to be available for Week 2. The same applies to defensive lineman Deji Oduwole, a former SMU player before transferring to Calgary.
Former Saint Mary’s receiver Darcy Brown is now a 251-pound fullback in Hamilton.
Defensive back Marc Beswick, another SMU product, is also on the Tiger-Cats along with Stala, another former Husky. Stala starts the year three catches shy of 300 for his career.
Ex-Axemen receiver Matt Carter is also a Ticat. He had two majors last year.
Defensive back Jeff Hecht of Saint Mary’s landed a job with Montreal.
There are no former AUS players listed on the Toronto Argonauts’ roster.
Former X-Men receiver Kwame Osei was a late cut of the Argos. Ex-Acadia guard Adam Rogers was unable to survive Edmonton’s last cuts, former Saint Mary’s defensive back Sal Borhot was dropped by Calgary and ex-SMU offensive lineman/long snapper Jocelyn Frenette was released by Saskatchewan.