Ottawa Sun: Analysing The Ottawa Redblacks Picks

Had some computer issues during and just following the draft (nice timing) which prevented from gathering information about the guys that were picked. I did track the results on the "Draft results" page (appropriately enough), tricky as that was with three trades within the first four picks.

Copied below are, courtesy of Tim Baines and the Ottawa Sun, comments from head coach Rick Campbell and/or general manager Marcel Desjardins about each player.

Antoine Pruneau, DB, Montreal 

Desjardins: "He'll be able to compete at multiple positions for us on defence. He's very athletic, but the main thing we draft any player for is to contribute on special teams. We have no doubt he'll be able to do that." 

Campbell: "He's a competitor. He'll be a guy athletically that can come in and compete right away. He strikes me as a kid that whatever you're telling him to do, he's going to be thrilled to do it. He has one of those infectious attitudes where he's thrilled to be on the football field and wants to compete." 

 

Scott MacDonell, WR, Queen's 

Desjardins: "He's a big, fast receiver who catches the ball well. He's physical, can block well and will be able to do things on special teams for us. He's a guy we had rated quite high. When we made the trade to go from 10 to 13 in the second round, we were a little leery that he may not be there, but it worked out." 

Campbell: "He's a guy with upside. He's got a lot of room to grow. The thing that's real interesting about him is his size -- you can use him for multiple things, he's kind of a hybrid guy, a guy with versatility." 

Nigel Romick. DL, St. Mary's 

Campbell: "He's a freaky kind of athletic guy. He's 6-foot-5, runs 4.6something. He runs real well for a big man. They moved him around in college because he was one of their better players. We hope to use him more as a defensive end. But definitely with his body size and the way he runs, he can come in and compete on special teams right away." 

Aaron Wheaton, OL, U of T 

Desjardins: "He's a big man who's athletic, but he needs time to develop and get better."
Campbell: "You need offensive line depth. As we build this football team, we need offensive linemen to come in here and compete. There's no reason he can't come in and compete right away and see where his growth goes." 

Hugo Desmarais, OL, Laval 

Desjardins: "He's a player who last played on Laval in 2011. He went to spring camp in 2012 and hasn't played since because of supposed concussion issues. Based on our information and what he's telling us, it's not really concussion related. A 6-foot-6, 300-lb. offensive lineman who played a bit at Laval, we just felt we had to take a chance on that guy. We talked to him beforehand. He's excited. He wants to play. He hasn't played in a bit, but you can't have enough of those guys. We're happy we got him, but we'll see how it goes." 

Campbell: "He's a project with upside, a kid who was recruited to NCAA schools so obviously he has the physical skillset to do it. Whether that happens, as you get into the later rounds. it's worth taking a chance on guys who have that much upside." 

Stephon Miller, DL, Windsor 

Desjardins: "He's a good athlete, good size, 250 lbs., he moves around pretty good. These types of guys are players who can contribute initially on special teams. Our defensive line coach Leroy Blugh will work with this guy and get him to be a better player." 

Campbell: "The thing I liked about him is he's a hard worker. You can watch him on film and tell that he likes playing football. He strikes me as a kid that will come in here and won't be phased by the competition. He's just going to throw it in there and do what he does. A lot of times kids with that trait can come in and contribute on special teams because they just play fast and don't think twice about it." 

Vincent Desloges, DL, Laval 

Desjardins: "He's a very good football player, probably not as athletic maybe as other players in the draft. He's advanced from a technical standpoint, he does a lot of things well. He was a difference maker for them as a defensive end. He's a guy who really hustles all over the field and who's going to come in and maybe play for us on special teams right from the beginning." 

Alexandre Bernard, LB, McGill 

Desjardins: "He's a player who didn't think he would be doing anything in the pros. We were aware of this, so this is a bit of a chance selection. We thought he was a very good football player who made a lot of plays. He may or may not be at training camp, but we'll see how that plays out. He hasn't been doing anything since the end of last football season because he wasn't anticipating this. He may be a guy we have to wait on, maybe it's during the season on the practice roster, maybe it's next year for training camp." 

Kevin Malcolm, LS, McMaster 

Desjardins: "He hurt his knee last year, so he's not coming to camp. We know that. He's a very good long-snapper, he does want to pursue the CFL. He's a guy who a year from now he's fully rehabbed and ready to go. We'll obviously keep tabs on him next year when he's playing and we may have a future long-snapper for the RedBlacks." 

Campbell: "He's a CFL-capable long-snapper when you watch him on film which is a big thing. There aren't a lot of guys out there. The thing about long-snapping if nobody talks about it, that means you're good at it. All of a sudden, when it's not good is when you have all the conversation. So definitely, he's a guy worth taking."

The one I'm most curious about is Desmarais, naturally, since his story is a little unusual.  The name was only vaguely familiar when he was announced as the team's choice in that round, which is explained by the fact that he hasn't played in two years.  But he was getting a fair amount of hype at the time, so this is another low risk, potential high reward choice in what was largely considered to be a weak draft.

The team took a little bit of heat for trading away the first pick overall to Calgary for offensive lineman Jon Gott, a move I have no problem with.  For all that Pierre Lavertu was said to be pro-ready, that remains to actually be seen, whereas we know that Gott was a regular contributor on the Stampeders line for the past couple of years.  It seems that Gott's girlfriend lives in Ottawa so at 28 years of age, the possibility of keeping him around for the remainder of his career seems strong.

This is not a typical expansion team building for three or four years down the road.  The expansion draft was designed to give Ottawa a chance to be competitive right away, and this transaction is a step towards that.  Agree with it or don't, but there's undeniably some logic behind it.

Update on Tyler Digby

As the Redblacks prepare for the 2014 draft, let's hear from one of last year's selections.

As a reminder, Tyler Digby was a fourth-round selection in 2013, the last made by the RedBlacks that day. He was later chosen by the Vancouver Stealth of the National Lacrosse League in the third round of that league's draft. This Calgary Sun article touches on the possibility that Digby might become a two-sport athlete.

“I haven’t really made a total decision yet,” Digby said of continuing his football career, as the Stealth prepared to face the Calgary Roughnecks on Friday at the Langley Events Centre. “I’m kind of just finishing out lacrosse here and get that on track and then make a decision. 

“There’s a lot of things. Position-wise a little bit and I’m already fully committed to the Stealth and I’m not sure if I can commit to another professional team.” 

... 

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 lb. by the Stealth, Digby bulked up to 255 lb. for his senior season at Robert Morris with the Colonials’ football team last fall, catching 17 passes for 178 yards and four touchdowns. 

Since CFL teams rarely employ tight ends anymore, Digby has been asked to play a fullback/H-back-type role, something the 23-year-old from New Westminster, B.C., isn’t quite sure about. 

“When we talked, that’s what we talked about — fullback, H-back, and tight end in a few sets,” Digby said, noting he was in contact with the RedBlacks earlier this month. “If I decide to play, I’ll do whatever.” 

From a RedBlacks point of view, Digby’s obvious athleticism is intriguing, and all it would take is a little bit of creative game-planning to get him involved in the offence.

I'd be surprised if Digby ever showed up to play in Ottawa, but it would be a pleasant surprise (and it's good to see he hasn't ruled it out entirely).  The NLL schedule does make it possible, though you wonder about the possibility of a guy burning out.  Still, it would make for a pretty interesting position battle with John Delahunt and Patrick Lavoie.

Expansion draft day!

Morning folks!  What's new?  :-)

Rather than wait for today's expansion draft action to be fully completed, I'm going to keep busy by posting results, reaction, etc, throughout the day.  So visit from time to time or stay on this post and refresh your browser from time to time.

Enjoy!

Round 1: Imports
From British Columbia: QB Thomas DeMarco
From Calgary: QB Kevin Glenn
From Edmonton: WR Carlton Mitchell
From Saskatchewan: OL James Lee
From Winnipeg: WR Wallace Miles
From Toronto: DL Jonathan Williams
From Montreal: DL Moton Hopkins
From Hamilton: RB Chevon Walker

Globe and Mail:  Ottawa GM Marcel Desjardins said he took the top two quarterbacks available.

“It became a function of having two guys that we felt were the best quarterbacks available that were not going to be free agents,” he said. “That’s a key component for us.

“Obviously Kevin is very familiar with what we’re going to want to do offensively, which is a bonus. And we also have a combination of veteran leadership and younger players so we have all the elements in place that we think are going to help us be a strong team, specifically at that position.”

Glenn, a Detroit native, completed 223-of-335 passes (66.6 per cent) for 2,710 yards and 18 touchdowns with seven interceptions.

DeMarco, 24, spent the last two seasons with the B.C. Lions, completing 103-of-191 passes for 1,325 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions while replacing the injured Travis Lulay.

Winnipeg Free Press: The Ottawa RedBlacks have plucked talented young receiver Wallace Miles from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the first round of the expansion draft.

Miles (6-foot-1, 193 pounds, North Carolina AT &T) joined the Bombers in October of 2012 and spent most of his time developing on the practice roster. But in two starts near the end of 2013 the 24-year-old Atlanta native flashed some of his upside, pulling in 10 passes for 142 yards and a TD. Those numbers included a six-catch/100-yard performance against the Toronto Argonauts on Oct. 24th.

Regina Leader-Post:  The Saskatchewan Roughriders have lost offensive lineman James Lee to the Ottawa RedBlacks in the expansion draft for the fledgling CFL club.

The 28-year-old product of Belle Glade, Fla., spent four weeks on the Roughriders’ practice roster before appearing in their final regular-season game. He didn’t dress for any games in the playoffs.

A 6-foot-3, 305-pound product of South Carolina State University, Lee attended training camp with the Cleveland Browns in 2008 before spending the remainder of that season on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad.

He was on the Bucs’ practice squad in 2009, 2010 and 2011 before attending training camp with the Washington Redskins in 2012.

Toronto Sun:  The RedBlacks grabbed defensive end Jon Williams off Toronto’s roster in the first round of the draft. The 28-year-old played 12 games for the Argos this season and was a backup in the CFL East final against the Tiger-Cats. Williams finished the season with 28 tackles and two sacks.


Round 2: Non-Imports
From British Columbia: OL Matt Albright
From Calgary: OL J'Michael Dean
From Edmonton: OL Alexander Krausnick
From Saskatchewan: DE Keith Shologan
From Winnipeg: LB James Green
From Toronto: OL Joe Eppele
From Montreal: FB Patrick Lavoie
From Hamilton:FB John Delahunt

Regina Leader-Post:  REGINA -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders have lost non-import defensive tackle Keith Shologan in the second round of the Ottawa RedBlacks expansion draft.

Shologan, a 28-year-old product of Spruce Grove, Alta., was Saskatchewan’s first-round pick (fourth overall) in the 2008 CFL draft out of the University of Central Florida.

He signed as a free agent with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers and spent time in their training camp before being released. He then joined the Roughriders late in the 2008 regular season, appearing in one game.

The 6-foot-2, 290-pounder has been a starter ever since. In 88 regular-season games with Saskatchewan, Shologan had 138 tackles and 15 sacks. He had 31 tackles and four sacks during the 2013 regular season.

He was named the most valuable Canadian in the 2010 Grey Cup game.

Toronto Sun:  The Argos have lost the second overall pick from the 2010 CFL Canadian draft.

The Ottawa RedBlacks selected Argos starting right guard Joe Eppele in the second round (first of two Canadian rounds) of the CFL expansion draft on Monday.

A native of Brackendale, B.C., the 6-foot-8, 301-pound Eppele was a regular for the Argos since coming out of Washington State.


Round 3: Non-Imports
From British Columbia: DE Andrew Marshall
From Calgary: FS Eric Fraser
From Edmonton: DE Justin Capicciotti
From Saskatchewan: DL Zach Evans
From Winnipeg: WR Rory Kohlert
From Toronto: LB Jason Pottinger
From Montreal: LB Jordan Verdone
From Hamilton: OL Marwan Hage
Metro:  John Hufnagel knew he was going to lose a few good men on Monday.

That’s exactly what happened as the Ottawa RedBlacks selected quarterback Kevin Glenn in the first round of the Canadian Football League expansion draft and then followed up by taking offensive lineman J’Micheal Deane and safety Eric Fraser in the second and third rounds respectively.

“I’m not real pleased about the day,” said Hufnagel, who guided the Calgary Stampeders to a CFL-best record of 14-4 as coach and general manager this past season. “I’m also proud that these players did a great job being a Calgary Stampeder. They’re good people, good players and I wish them all the best going out to the nation’s capital. They’ll still be wearing red.”

...

Originally drafted by Calgary in the third round (21st overall) in the 2010 CFL Canadian Draft, Deane played 38 regular-season games over three seasons with the Stamps at both tackle and guard.

“J’Micheal Deane is a very versatile offensive lineman that played everywhere on the offensive line for us except for the centre position and he has a long, bright future in this league,” Hufnagel said. “I’m sure he’s excited about going into a team where he knows most likely he’ll be a full-time starter, which he really wasn’t here game in and game out.”

Fraser was Calgary’s first-round selection (eighth overall) in the 2009 CFL Canadian Draft and he played 69 regular-season games over four seasons as a safety and on special teams.

“He’s played great football,” said Hufnagel of Fraser, who recorded 108 tackles, 37 special-team tackles, three sacks and five interceptions during his time as a Stamp. “He’ll play a long time in the nation’s capital.”

Flashback, May 6th, 2013: RedBlacks draft SB/WR Tyler Digby in the 4th round of the college draft.

The timing for this post couldn't have worked out any better.  On the day that I look for articles similar to the ones I found for the other three choices, Digby gets drafted by the Vancouver franchise of the National Lacrosse League.

First, let's revisit his selection through the Royal City Record.

New Westminster's Tyler Digby was selected in the fourth round of the Canadian Football League college draft on Monday.

The 6-3, 250-pound junior tight end at Robert Morris University was drafted by the new as-yet-unnamed Ottawa franchise, which will begin playing in the CFL in the 2014 season.

"I was just excited, humbled and everything. It was a pretty proud moment for sure," said Digby on a long-distance call from the Pittsburgh, Pensylvania campus.

Digby, who has one varsity letter in football and two in field lacrosse, will play his senior year at Robert Morris before weighing his sporting options.

In the CFL draft, Ottawa had the opportunity to draft four NCAA players with eligibility remaining. Next year, as a full-fledged member of the league, Ottawa will have the first pick in all rounds of the draft.

In February, Digby was also drafted in the first round, sixth overall, by the Burnaby Lakers in the Western Lacrosse Association junior entry draft.

Must be nice to be wanted...

At the time of the pick, this seemed like a nice late score.  Digby's Robert Morris bio lists him as being 6'4" and 255, great size for an inside receiver, but it also mentions that he moved to the offensive line in a pinch. In three games this year, he has six receptions for 53 yards and a score.

The National Lacrosse League schedule runs from January to April.  There's no overlap, so on that level there doesn't seem to be anything preventing him from playing both sports if he wishes (unless CFL contracts forbid it, which I doubt).

But you would think that someone from New Westminster might want to play football close to home as well so I could see Digby being sent to BC in a trade at some point.  It may be best to not get too attached to him.

Flashback, May 6th, 2013: RedBlacks draft Kalonji Kashama in the Third Round of the College Draft

The RedBlacks continued to build along the trenches during their first college draft.

Does the Kashama name seem familiar?  It might; Kalonji's three older brothers have played professionally.  It doesn't get mentioned much in his bios, but brother Hakeem Kashama was briefly an Ottawa Renegade.  He had signed on before the 2006 season that never was and was picked by Winnipeg in the dispersal draft.

As for Connor Williams, let's retain some of Kashama's Eastern Michigan bio for future reference...

Full name: Kalonji Sylvain Kashama.

2012: Started 11 games for the Eagles at defensive end...Recorded 30 tackles including three sacks...Forced two fumbles, one sack and five solo tackles at Purdue (Oct. 15).

2011: Appeared in all 12 games, earning four starts for the Eagles...Recorded 28 total tackles (10 solo & 18 assisted), 1.5 sacks, four QB hurries and one pass breakup...Had 3.5 tackles for loss on the season...Notched a season high four total tackles at Michigan (Sept. 17)...

2010: Earned his first letter after redshirting as a freshman in 2009...Played in 11 games, earning eight starts on the defensive line...Finished the year with 14 tackles, three tackles-for-loss of 11 yards and two sacks for 10 yards...Turned in four tackles in his collegiate debut, Sept. 4 against Army...Second-best effort was a three-tackle effort at Ball State (Oct. 16), including 1.5 sacks for five yards...

HIGH SCHOOL:  Graduated from Notre Dame H.S. in Brampton, Ontario, Canada where he played football for Head Coach Dario Pretto...Was a member of the Honor Roll...Earned four varsity letters in football and three each in basketball and track...Played at Avondale H.S. in Decatur, Ga. in his final season of high school football...Avondale’s Head Coach was his brother, Hakeem Kashama...Senior Year:  Named one of the Top 20 Players in the Greater Toronto area...Junior Year: Finished his 11th grade in Canada where he played at Notre Dame School in Brampton, Ontario...Picked for the Greater Toronto Area All-Star team and was named one of the Top 20 Players in the Greater Toronto area...Had 14 sacks with 71 tackles on defense and also played offensive receiver....Sophomore Year:  Named one of the Top 20 Players in the Greater Toronto area...Freshman Year: Lettered in football and helped the team win the conference championship.

All very nice, but let's let the man tell us about himself:



In light of his size (6'04" / 270), experience and blood lines, I'm surprised he lasted until the end of the 3rd round.  Hope to see Kashama wearing the "R" next spring.

Flashback, May 6th, 2013: RedBlacks draft Kanata native Connor Williams in the Second Round of the college draft

This was a fun pick.  I'd been tracking local players in NCAA for some time, and would watch Williams during the rare occasions when Utah State was televised (such as bowl games).  When the RedBlacks had the opportunity to make a draft choice again after MacMillan, and Williams was available, I was very much hoping that they would take him and obviously they did.

The Utah State website has a good bio of him, particularly of his pre-NCAA years. I'll copy that part here for future reference.

HIGH SCHOOL: Was a two-time first-team all-region honoree at Holy Trinity (Ontario) High School... Also participated in the all-Canada Gridiron Ottawa May Showcase, as well as playing in the Athletes in Action East/West Bowl, where he was the only junior selected, and then again as a senior... Was Holy Trinity's defensive MVP his sophomore, junior and senior seasons, as well as team captain all three years... As a junior, helped the Tornadoes win the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association Tier 2 football championship... Also played for the Kanata Knights and the Myers Riders of the Ontario Varsity Football League, where he set a league record for single-season tackle assists with 80 as a junior... As a senior, had 80 total tackles (35-solo, 45-assists) with 10 total sacks (5-solo, 5-assists) along with two forced fumbles and one interception... Was also the Riders' team MVP as a senior and was a two-time team captain.

Recently, the Salt Lake Tribune had an article about Williams and his time with the program which included a mention of his selection by the RedBlacks.  Have a read at that below.

The teasing comes with the territory for Connor Williams, though at first he fought it.

Arriving in Logan from Ontario as a freshman, Williams didn’t appreciate it when his new Utah State teammates egged him on by saying Canadians couldn’t play football. In the first few days of his freshman camp, he tried to show them all how wrong they were.

"I shut [up] a few people my very first few days: All I did was headhunt people," he said, laughing at the memories. "Actually, I got a reward for that in my first scrimmage from Kellen Bartlett. He’s going to kill me for bringing that up."

These days, the 21-year-old is comfortable with both where he’s from and where he is. The senior defensive end is coming off an all-WAC honorable mention season, and he’s one of the Aggies’ leaders on defense after topping the team with six sacks last year.

He still strides onto the field looking to prove himself every day, only now, he takes out his aggression on opponents.

...

Williams invites his reputation: The brawny lineman has the thick beard, tattoos on his biceps and a long, flowing mane that inspired his most well-known nickname: Conan the Barbarian.

At a recent team get-together, the Aggies had a look-alike event. When a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger in full movie get-up popped up on the screen next to Williams’ picture, he rolled his eyes. The name has just stuck.

"Honestly, I just call him Conan," Larsen said. "I can’t remember the last time I called him Connor."

Williams hasn’t always had long hair. He didn’t even always like football. Which was funny, because the sport has long been the family’s pastime.

His uncles Shane Ireland and Brian Wise both played in the CFL. Williams played, mostly out of a sense of duty — and because hockey was expensive — but he didn’t much like it.

That changed when he saw Utah play in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl against Pittsburgh. Wise, a former Ute player, introduced his nephew to the excitement of college football. Afterward, Williams was pushing and pushing to go to Utah before he got a late call from Gary Andersen.

"He told me he came up here to rebuild a program, it was going to be something special, and I wanted to be a part of that," Williams remembered. "At the last minute, I signed."

Mining the Canadian recruit turned out to be quite the coup for Utah State. Williams started all 13 games last year and enters this season as the most experienced lineman in the Aggies’ defensive fold. He’s one of the strongest players on the team, earning an Iron Aggie last year and getting some of the heaviest squats in the weight room.

...

For years, Williams kept his hair close-cropped. But not long after another football-playing uncle, Phil Ireland, died, Williams missed a haircut.

"My uncle played football, and he always wore his hair long," Williams said. " I thought maybe I’d honor him in a way."

There’s no doubt that Williams is making his hometown proud, or at least drawing its attention. During the offseason, Williams was selected by the Ottawa Red Blacks, a CFL expansion team that will start playing in 2014. They hope that Williams considers returning home to begin his pro football career after his senior campaign is over.

That’s far ahead of him at this point. Yes, he’s still proud to be Canadian. But for now, he’s just an Aggie.

"If I have a successful season, we’ll see what comes out of it," he said. "I assume one day when I have to get a real job, I’ll have to cut my hair. I’m just enjoying it for now."

Flashback, May 6th, 2013: Ottawa takes OL Nolan MacMillan with first ever college draft pick

The CFL press release about the first college draft pick in RedBlacks history was pretty underwhelming.  Here is a portion of it.  Emphasis on the spelling error is mine, of course.

TORONTO -- The new Ottawa franchise has made their first ever draft selection, taking Iowa offensive lineman Nolan MacMillan.  He was selected in the first round, 8th overall in the 2013 CFL Draft.

MacMillan, 22, joins the Ottawa after starring on the Hawkeyes' offensive line for four seasons. He missed the entire 2011 campaign with an injury.

The six-foot-six, 290-pound Toornto, ON native ranked sixth on April's CFL Scouting Bureau rankings, jumping up four spots from December's Top 15.

The rest of it was about how GM Marcel Desjardins is honoured to represent Ottawa and what other draft choices the team had remaining.  They had selections at the end of the next three rounds, if they chose to make use of them, and I'm going to have a post for each pick separately.

Oh, and MacMillan was 9th overall, not 8th.  Leave it to the CFL to forget how many teams are in its league.  I'm still going use the picture from their article below though, because it at least appears as though they got the right guy.

Aside from what we're told above, what do we know about MacMillan?  Not an awful lot, so I located the article below which goes over his career at Iowa.

No doubt he's talented, but you may find that the CFL's claim that he "starred" on the Iowa line is a touch overblown in light of time lost to injury.  The article was posted on Hawk Central in October of last year and written by Ryan Suchomel.

UI CMP Photo Services

Offensive lineman Nolan MacMillan knows about injuries and setbacks.

The junior started the first six games as a redshirt freshman in 2010, then went down with injury.

Now the 6-foot-6, 290-pound lineman is slated to make his seventh career start Saturday at Northwestern, almost two years after his last one.

“It was a long time,” MacMillan said. “It was a tough wait. You’ve got to focus on each day, taking care of what you can.”

MacMillan earned freshman all-American honors for his half-season of work in 2010.

The hope was MacMillan would put his shoulder injury behind him and become a starter again last fall.

But a sports hernia in the spring lingered and he missed all of 2011.

“It’s been a bit of a long process,” MacMillan said. “You come to a place like this, you want to play. Playing early is great, but obviously I wasn’t able to stay healthy.”

On Saturday, MacMillan was put in the game when sophomore Brandon Scherff went down with a season-ending injury against Penn State.

“I think he did a good job,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “He went in there. He was ready. He was mentally ready for it, and he’s practiced well.

“He’s missed some time but he’s practiced well when he’s been out there. Now hopefully we can keep him healthy and keep him advancing, because we’re going to need everybody’s best effort now.”

...

MacMillan said he is a lot different than that redshirt freshman that enjoyed a 5-1 record as a starter.

“I think I’m a lot more confident in the offense scheme and what I’m doing,” MacMillan said. “And I think I’m more physically mature.”

The junior from Toronto, Ontario, is not given to long-winded proclamations. But he’s sat in the offensive line meetings while hurt and lately even when he was passed up by younger players.

“He’s a tough guy,” junior lineman Brett Van Sloten said. “I think everyone on the team can contest to that. He’s a fighter.

“He’s persevered through a lot. It’s nice to see him progress through all those injuries.”

...

“He’s got the right mindset,” (redshirt freshman Austin) Blythe said. “Coming back for him is just like getting back on a bike. It’s just about getting the reps, getting the confidence back. He’ll be just fine.”

The Ottawa Sun got a hold of MacMillan that day and had the following quote in its article about his selection:

“I’m really happy, totally excited that Ottawa picked me. It’s a great feeling,” said MacMillan, who was born in Arnprior and lived (with parents Paul and Janet) in Renfrew as a kid. “I was tracking the draft (online) and I had to do a double take when my name came up.”

MacMillan doesn't seem to be drawing much NFL attention, at least for the moment, so chances that he'll be in RedBlacks camp next spring appear to be quite good.