ANTIGONISH: Three former StFX X-Men Football players have been selected in the first-ever Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA) Canadian Draft.
Jacob Czaja, Jeremy Fagnan, and Jimmie Cunningham will now have the opportunity to hone their skills and continue their development against Mexico’s best in the country’s premier professional league.
“For Jacob to be drafted second overall, is a huge accomplishment,” Dave Van Den Heuvel said, StFX’s offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. “Jacob is a physical player, who brings athleticism and a good understanding of the game to the team. They are getting a player who absolutely loves to compete and work at his craft every day.”
Drafted second overall by Monterrey Fundidores, Czaja is a year removed from an incredible career as a five-year starter and Van Den Heuvel said it’ll be interesting how it all unfolds, how they enjoy the game in Mexico and how many of them get CFL opportunities from it.
One selection later, the Querétaro Pioneros selected defensive back Fagnan, who said the whole experience has been surreal.
“I thought if I was going to get picked up it would be towards the end, when I saw the list of guys eligible to be drafted it was crazy,” he said. “The majority of those guys have had major CFL interest.”
Fagnan said this is just another shot to continue the dream he’s had since he was little.
“I’m absolutely blessed to get another shot to play the game I love and try and catch the attention of the CFL,” he said. “My time at StFX, though short has definitely helped me grow, especially on the aspect pf what it takes to actually get from here to the next level.”
Cunningham was drafted 21 overall to the Saltillo Dinos.
The draft is the latest step in the continuing partnership between the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the LFA.
The eight LFA teams will hold reserved roster spots for Canadians in the upcoming 2020 season. The player pool was comprised of the top Canadian CFL free agents who had previously indicated a desire to play in Mexico.