Three former members of the Queen’s Golden Gaels will be on the field Saturday night when the Saskatchewan Roughriders host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the opening game of the Canadian Football League season for both teams.
Receiver Rob Bagg and defensive back Matt Webster will be playing with the Roughriders, while rookie Brendan Morgan, also a defensive back, will be dressing for Winnipeg.
The three are among nine Gaels alumni who opened the season on CFL rosters.
Bagg, a Frontenac Secondary School grad, is the veteran, as he begins his seventh pro season. The other Kingston Area Secondary Schools Athletic Association product in the league this year is former Regiopolis Notre Dame Panther Cory Greenwood, a Concordia grad who begins the season as a linebacker with the Toronto Argonauts.
In addition to Morgan, the Blue Bombers’ second-round pick in this year’s draft, defensive lineman Derek Wiggan, Calgary's fourth-round pick in 2014, is beginning his rookie season with the Stampeders.
Webster and receiver Scott Macdonell of the Ottawa RedBlacks are both beginning their second pro campaign.
Three former Gaels opened the season on the injured list: second-year pros Andrew Lue, a defensive back with the Montreal Alouettes, and wide receiver Giovanni Aprile of the Hamilton Tiger Cats; as well as defensive lineman Shomari Williams, the first overall pick in the 2010 CFL draft, who opens his fifth pro season on the disabled list in Calgary.
Rookie receiver Alex Carroll begins the year on Saskatchewan’s practice roster.
Among Ontario University Athletics, only Western (12) and McMaster (11) have more graduates playing in the CFL this year than Queen’s.
Calgary, with 21 former Dinos on opening-day rosters, and Laval, with 17, are the schools represented by the most alumni. Montreal (12), Manitoba, Saint Mary’s and Saskatchewan (each with 11) and Bishop’s (10) are the other best-represented schools in the CFL.
The local roll call in the CFL, with their uniform number, position and team (x-opens season on injured list; yopens season on practice roster):
x-88. Giovanni Aprile, WR, Hamilton
6. Rob Bagg, Rec, Saskatchewan
y-87. Alex Carroll, WR, Saskatchewan
27. Cory Greenwood, LB, Toronto
x-24. Andrew Lue, DB, Montreal
83. Scott Macdonell, Rec, Ottawa
21. Brendan Morgan, DB, Winnipeg
25. Matt Webster, DB, Saskatchewan
97. Derek Wiggan, DL, Calgary
x-33. Shomari Williams, DL, Calgary
