By Douglas Long
March was an exceptionally busy month for three hopeful University of Calgary Dinos football stars. Erik Glavic, Deji Oduwole and Anthony Woodson participated in the Canadian Football League evaluation camp in Toronto March 12-14. The evaluation camp is invite only and featuring Canadian football players from Canadian Interuniversity Sport and NCAA universities. The skills camp evaluates the 40-yard sprint, broad jump, vertical jump, maximum bench press and a shuttle run. Players are not only graded on their physical attributes, but tested on their mental abilities to compete at the professional level.
Later in the month, Oduwole converted his showing at the camp into a CFL job. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced the signing of fifth-year defensive lineman March 30. The Coquitlam, B.C. native was rated in the top-15 draft eligible players list for 2010. Oduwole began his post-secondary football career as a Huskie at St. Mary’s University in Halifax. In 2007, Oduwole transferred to the U of C following head coach Blake Nill. Although nothing is set in stone yet, Oduwole has the opportunity to compete for a spot on the travelling roster at the Blue Bombers main camp in July.
Glavic, a two-time Hec Crighton winner as the CIS national player of the year, had top results within the quarterback specific group, with the highest vertical jump and farthest broad jump amongst his competitors.
Calgary product Woodson of St. Francis High School is attempting to follow in the footsteps of his father, former Calgary Stampeder and Ottawa Rough Rider linebacker Anthony Woodson. The veteran running back put up some pretty impressive numbers with the fifth overall fastest shuttle and the sixth overall fastest 40 at the evaluation camp. Woodson was plagued by a foot injury for all of the 2009 season but in 2008 was a Second Team All-Canadian, Canada West All-Star and nominated for Canada West Player of the Year.
There are currently six Dinos alumni playing in the CFL, Agustin Barrenechea (Hamiton Tigercats), Tim O’Neill (Calgary Stampeders), Mark Dewit and James Green (Toronto Argonauts), Dylan Steenbergen (Montreal Alouettes) and recently Oduwole (Winnipeg Blue Bombers).