CFL Global Combine heads to Great Britain

The Canadian Football League crew led by CFO and Director of Football Operations Greg Dick will be at SGS College in Bristol, England Saturday, January 25 for the fifth of six CFL Global Combines being held in Europe in January.

In cooperation with the British American Football Association, BAFA, the CFL staff will take a look at 19 athletes who have been invited to attend the Combine.

The other half of the crew will be in Florence, Italy today while the entire group will be moving on to Germany Sunday, January 26.

Joining Greg Dick from the CFL will be Lawrence Hopper from Football Operations as well as additional staff from the CFL along with BAFA staff and coaches.

Some of the standouts at the Bristol event should include British linebacker Kadel King, a former Kent Exiles junior player who played in the German Football League’s top division for the Frankfurt Universe. He led his team that reached the GFL semifinals, with 68 tackles and five sacks during the regular season. The 6’3″, 225 pound King previously played for the GFL’s Potsdam Royals in 2018 amassing 77 tackles, and also played college football at St. Francis Xavier University in Canada. Another linebacker/defensive end who could catch some attention is David Izinyon, who at 6’1″, 250 lb is more of an undersized rush end but ideal for special teams. Izinyon played for the Rostock Griffins in Germany’s second division and led the team in tackles with 135, adding five sacks along the way. A third intriguing prospect at the UK combine is William Kodjo Davis, a 6’2″, 215-pound safety who played for the Allgau Comets in the German Football League. He tallied 43 tackles and a pick in 11 games playing in the Comets secondary but his size and speed make him ideal for special teams.

The Combine forms one of a series around the world allowing CFL staff to evaluate international athletes for potential selection by a CFL team to represent them during the 2020 season.

So far, five players have been chosen from the CFL Global Combines held in Finland, Sweden, and France. From the Finnish combine, Micky Kyei and Sebastien Sagne were selected and from the combine in Sweden, defensive back William James.

The French combine produced receiver Anthony Mahoungou and defensive back Tony Anderson, both who have attended NFL camps.

As the CFL continues to deepen its international footprint and introduce new pathways for Canadians to play, it has also partnered with the leading gridiron football federations and leagues in Austria, Great Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, and Sweden, and is in discussions with others.

At the Combine, players will be tested for specific athletic measurables and in positional drills to determine suitability.

The top players will be invited to Toronto from March 26-28 for the 2020 CFL Combine which will feature international prospects competing alongside their young Canadian counterparts from U SPORTS, the NCAA and junior football. The league’s biggest scouting event will be followed by two separate drafts in the spring – one for global players and one for Canadians.