Believe it or not there are Canadians in the NFL. We in Canada are proud of our guys that make the grade in the USA.
The current list of these Canucks are:
| Player | Team | Position | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| O.J. Atogwe | Washington Redskins | Free Safety | Windsor, ON |
| Nate Burleson | Detroit Lions | Wide Receiver | Calgary, AB |
| Austin Collie | Indianapolis Colts | Wide Receiver | Hamilton, ON |
| Cory Greenwood | Kansas City Chiefs | Linebacker | Kingston, ON |
| Israel Idonije | Chicago Bears | Defensive Lineman | Brandon, MB |
| Nick Kaczur | New England Patriots | Offensive Lineman | Brantford, ON |
| L.P. Ladouceur | Dallas Cowboys | Long Snapper | Pointe Claire, QC |
| Vaughn Martin | San Diego Chargers | Defensive End | Windsor, ON |
| Jon Ryan | Seattle Seahawks | Punter | Regina SK |
| Shaun Suisham | Pittsburgh Steelers | Kicker | Wallaceburg, ON |
| Jamaal Westerman | New York Jets | Linebacker | Brampton, ON |
In Week 1 the stats for these players were:
Austin Collie 0 catches
O.J. Atogwe 2 tackles
Nate Burleson 5 catches 60 yards and 20 yards rushing
Cory Greenwood 1 tackle
Israel Idonije 1 tackle
Shaun Suisham 1 convert
Jamaal Westerman 1 fumble recovery
Jon Ryan 7 punts 48.9 yd average
The CFL is also known as a bit of a developmental league for the NFL, supplying some fine talent back to the NFL. Names that may be recognizable to a casual NFL fan who have played in the CFL include Cameron Wake on Miami, John Chick on Jacksonville, Mike Sellers on Washington, Stefan Logan on Detroit and Brandon Browner on Seattle.
I love watching an NFL game and seeing a Canadian player do well, or see a player who had spent time in the CFL on the field. Makes me appreciate the CFL that much more.