Here are the 5 former Riders drafted into the new XFL
Five players who spent time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders are taking their shot at the XFL when the league relaunches under new ownership in 2023.
The current iteration of the XFL began in 2020 before being forced to cancel its season partway through due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new ownership group that includes Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took over later that same year, holding their start up draft last week.
Most of the former Riders selected were only with the team for less than one season.
K.D. Cannon – D.C. Defenders:
With a pick that showed an inclination for initials, 27-year-old wide receiver K.D. Cannon was selected by the D.C. Defenders in the third round.
Cannon played in six games for Saskatchewan in 2018 and 2019. In his second season, he caught 11 of 12 passes for 149 receiving yards but did not mark a receiving touchdown during his CFL run.
Rashard Davis – Seattle Sea Dragons:
Another wide receiver who wore green and white in a few regular season games, 27-year-old Rashard Davis was taken by the Seattle Sea Dragons in the seventh round of the XFL draft.
Davis only spent one season in Saskatchewan, appearing in four games and catching one of three passes for 12 yards.
Dieuly Aristilde - Orlando Guardians:
Signing with the Roughriders in May, 25-year-old Dieuly Aristilde Jr. will now try his hand at receiver for the XFL’s Orlando Guardians.
Selected by the Guardians in the tenth round, Aristilde was cut by the Riders in July after several preseason appearances and one regular season game where he did not record a catch.
A.J. Hendy – Houston Roughnecks:
Defensive back A.J. Hendy is now a member of the Houston Roughnecks, drafted in the 14th round.
This is not Hendy’s first XFL stint: he was a member of the New York Guardians in the league’s previous iteration before signing with the Roughriders for 2021.
During that season, he made 14 defensive tackles over 11 games and recorded one interception.
Hendy re-signed with Saskatchewan in March 2022 but did not make it past the final round of roster cuts in June.
Tommy Champion - Houston Roughnecks:
Offensive lineman Tommy Champion never played a regular season game with the Roughriders, but now he’ll try and become a staple of the Roughnecks offensive line.
Champion did appear in the 2022 CFL preseason, but was cut by the Riders in June.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.