Gryphons in the 2020 CFL Draft

They were a few incredible minutes that a group of fourth-year Guelph Gryphon football players will never forget. Anticipation for the Canadian Football League Draft on April 30th was high for this year’s eligible Gryphons. Two of those players, Dotun Aketepe and Junior Allen, were together with their housemates Darius Samuels and Harry Robinson watching on YouTube, TSN, and following the league’s draft tracker online. The University of Guelph was recognized early as standout offensive lineman Coulter Woodmansey went fifth overall to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. That was a huge accomplishment for the humble Toronto, ON native and his teammates were understandably proud.

But the fourth round was when the real chaos started. Star receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker was selected by the Saskatchewan Roughriders 30th overall. Then Aketpe went to the Edmonton Eskimos two picks later, just before Allen was chosen in the 35th spot by Saskatchewan.

It all created quite the scene at Aketepe and Allen’s house.

“It was so surreal,” says Allen, an elite linebacker, who has had a long journey to get to this point. “When Kian got drafted the whole house called him and yelled and congratulated him and it was just pure energy, you know. And then Tune got drafted and I’m in the same room with the guy. I was a ball of energy so I’m jumping off the walls, just going crazy.

“And then it was me.”

“I didn’t even realize it right away,” adds Aketepe, an anchor in the Gryphon secondary this past year. “We saw Kian’s name so we contacted him and I had just given the phone up and sat down when everyone started jumping on me. I thought, what just happened? They said, ‘You just got drafted.” I thought, ‘Oh, that’s crazy.’

“Then everyone started jumping on AJ. It all happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to take it in. It was extremely unique. I didn’t think it would happen like that. It was just crazy.”

The four Gryphons, along with their draft-eligible teammates Jordan Terrio and Alex Jafs, had worked extremely hard to get to that day. The program has developed a number of pro-calibre players and last week’s CFL Draft provided yet another example of the talent Gryphon Football produces.

For Woodmansey, it was all a bit of a shock. He grew up a hometown Argos fan, in part because his grandfather Robert Jackson was the team physician for several years. By the time Woodmansey was in high school, he stood 6-5 and knew that if he continued to develop both his physical and mental skills, he would have a shot at the CFL.

But even he was surprised by where he was picked.

“The advice I kept getting from everyone who has been through this process, all the Guelph players before me and the coaching staff, was not to have expectations,” Woodmansey says. “You could end up being a first-round pick or a sixth-round pick – and it’s out of your control.

“I got a call from my agent and he said, ‘Hamilton is taking you at 5.’ I thought, ‘What? You sure?’ Then I thought, that’s actually happening. It blew my mind.”

Woodmansey was with his parents, girlfriend, and his younger brother/Guelph teammate Curtis on draft night. After he was picked, Allen and Aketepe and the housemates called him, which Woodmansey says was “special.” It set the tone for a great night for the Gryphons. 

He recalls the 6 am training sessions with his teammates to prepare their bodies for the process but he’s also aware that making it to the next level requires more than good fitness. He referred to the culture developed by offensive line Coach Mike MacDonald, which is to have high expectations and play quality football. The coaches pushed him and he embraced the psychology of the game. He got better every year and has an understanding of what needs to be done to succeed in the CFL.

“When you’re mentally prepared, it allows you to play quickly,” Woodmansey says. “It’s the same with technique. If you know what you’re doing, when you see something, you just react instead of having to think about it. You’ve done all that work on your feet, with your eyes watching that tape. Seeing it before, that’s what’s going to allow you to make those quick reactions and that’s what you need at the next level.”

Aketepe also knows what success will look like at the next level. He was thrilled to be chosen by the Eskimos and shared a call with his parents and his four younger brothers, who all expressed how proud they were of the accomplishment. He says that he wasn’t a huge CFL fan growing up but as his Gryphon career progressed and he saw teammates getting drafted, he began to pay closer attention and watch the Canadian game.

Aketepe is currently working out in Guelph, staying in the best shape possible for when the time comes to show what he can do. And he has a plan when the opportunity arrives.

“As I learn to adapt to the speed of the pro game, special teams will be a way that I can make an impact,” Aketepe says.

Allen will take a similar approach. The Burlington, ON native is a genuine fan of the game and he often went to nearby Hamilton to see the Tiger-Cats play. He says that it will require resilience to make it in the CFL but he has an abundance of that characteristic.

“Being a Canadian linebacker, I’m going to be a special teams guy to start, which is awesome,” says Allen. “I love special teams and I’m really good at them. But the end goal is to be a starting Canadian linebacker and I have to prove to myself that I can do the things necessary to make that jump.”

Exactly how the CFL journey unfolds for the four drafted Gryphons going forward is uncertain. They will remain in contact with their organizations until a plan for the season is reached. So it’s a matter of putting in more work – and being extremely patient.

“This time is absolutely unprecedented,” says Allen. “But living with Tune keeps me focused. We have a job to do, and there are certain expectations we have to meet.

“You can’t reach them on your butt.”

Click here to see the 2020 CFL Draft results.

Written By: David Dicenzo