The first-ever Liga de Futbol Americano Profesional Canadian Draft featured a definite Winnipeg Blue Bombers/University of Manitoba Bisons flair.
The LFA – the professional football league of Mexico – held its first-ever draft of Canadians on Friday as part of their growing partnership with the Canadian Football League with the eight teams selecting 25 players who are eligible to play in 2020.
Offensive lineman Ben Koczwara, an eighth-round draft pick of the Blue Bombers in 2018 who attended training camp with the club in both 2018 and 2019, was the historic first-overall selection in the LFA Canadian Draft by the Saltillo Dinos.
As well, defensive lineman Ian Marouf – a Bombers sixth-round draft pick in 2016 – was selected seventh overall by the Toluca Osos while receiver Brendon Thera-Plamondon, drafted by Winnipeg in the seventh round in 2017, was selected 20th overall by the Mexico City Condors.
Two former Bisons players were also selected, with kicker Brad Mikoluff going 22nd overall to the Monterrey Fundidoresand receiver Dylan Schrot – who scored a touchdown for the Bombers in a preseason game – selected 24th by the Mexico City Mexicas.
Dylan Schrot
The 25 players were selected from a pool of Canadian CFL free agents who had previously indicated an interest to play in Mexico to work on their game in a professional league. The eight LFA teams will hold reserve spots for the players in 2020 – much the same way the CFL established the ‘global’ player designation for the 2019 season.
The CFL is hoping its global 2.0 initiative will help offer similar opportunities for talent sharing with football federations in Finland, Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Austria and Great Britain.
The Bombers have three Global players on their roster or practice roster. German linebacker/defensive lineman Thiadric Hansen has been arguably the most-productive Global player in the CFL, having played in all 18 regular-season games, registering five tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles.
Two Mexican players are on the practice roster in linebacker Manuel Hernandez-Reyes and defensive back Sergio Schiaffino Perez, both of whom were selected in the CFL’s draft of Mexican players in the offseason.
