Calgary Dinos’ Jalen Philpot taken by Calgary Stampeders in CFL Draft

May 4, 2022 c_admin Lacrosse Comments Off on Calgary Dinos’ Jalen Philpot taken by Calgary Stampeders in CFL Draft

Receiver Jalen Philpot starred for three seasons with the dynamic University of Calgary Dinos offence. The Stampeders picked Philpot with the fifth-overall selection in Tuesday’s CFL Draft. Photo by BRENDAN MILLER /Postmedia file

The Calgary Stampeders grabbed a guy they’ve seen plenty with their first pick in the 2022 CFL Draft.

That’s Jalen Philpot, a guy who’s grabbed plenty of footballs in his dynamic time with the University of Calgary Dinos.

Philpot is one-half of the twin-turbo receivers having starred in the high-octane Dinos offence. He’s seven minutes older than brother Tyson, who went four picks later — in the final slot of the first round — to the Montreal Alouettes.

“This is awesome,” said the 21-year-old Philpot. “This is a dream come true, for sure. I’ve envisioned this from a young age, so to see it come to fruition is awesome. Especially being at Calgary, I can definitely say it was the top team on my board.

“To be back in Calgary is amazing.”

When the B.C. talent was last dazzling in the city, he was starring at the U of C.

Philpot played 22 games over three seasons (2018-19, 2021) with the Dinos. He recorded 113 receptions for 1,889 yards and 10 touchdowns during his U Sports career, all with Calgary. He was a Canada West all-star in 2019 and 2021, in addition to twice being named a first-team all-Canadian. Along the way, he grabbed a share of the school record for longest reception — 107 yards — matching his brother, and both were part of a Vanier Cup-winning team in 2019 and suited up in the College Gridiron Showcase in Texas this past winter.

The Philpots attended Seaquam Secondary School in Delta, B.C. Their father, Cory, played eight years in the CFL, split between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and B.C. Lions, and won a Grey Cup championship with the Lions in 1994.

“We’ve seen and talked about this day from a young age,” said the Stamps draftee. “To be able to do it with my twin brother is so awesome. I’m so glad that he was able to get picked in the first round. We’re both ready to get to work next week at training camp and show there’s a reason we both went in the first round. We both love football.

“I just think we bring a lot to the table — on special teams, as returners, as receivers, we’re both super explosive,” Philpot continued. “We’re game-changers — we like to make big plays. Football runs in our blood. We watch football, we study it all day, we go out to the field every day … we put in all the extra work. So all the hard work, it feels like it paid off.”

The Stamps obviously like what they see in Philpot.

And why not given he’s not just productive but versatile? Philpot has played running back in his U Sports days, in addition to hauling in balls as a pass-catcher — mostly in the slot position — and returning kicks as a runback artist.

“There were a couple of mock drafts, so I kind of had an inkling (it would be Calgary),” Philpot said. “And talking to (Stamps) coach (Dave) Dickenson and all the coaches there, I just got a really good feeling. I can say I kind of had a good feeling, but I just really didn’t know.”

Meanwhile, it didn’t take long for Philpot’s younger brother to come off the board, as the Alouettes grabbed him at No. 9 to end the first round.

“I’m extremely honoured,” Tyson said. “I put in 17 years of work, so just to see my name to get called — no matter where I got called — I’m just so blessed. I’m ready to go to camp and work.”

They’ll both try to crack the roster right out of camp and get into starts for Week 1 — ironically featuring the Stamps hosting the Alouettes at McMahon Stadium on June 9 (7 p.m.).

“That’s crazy … that’s cool,” said the younger Philpot. “I’m hopefully going to get in the lineup — and Jalen, too. Hope he comes ready to work, because I’m going to come ready to work.”

Two of the Philpots’ former teammates at U of C — defensive lineman Jacob Plamondon and linebacker Subomi Oyesoro — went in the draft, as well.

Plamondon was a supplemental draft at the end of the second round plucked by the Edmonton Elks with the 19th pick overall. The 24-year-old is a 6-foot-3, 240-pounder. 

Oyesoro, a 6-foot-1, 215-lb. 19-year-old, was selected by the Ottawa RedBlacks in Round 6 — 49th overall.

With their second pick — 14th overall — Tuesday night, the Stamps went to the other side of the ball, drafting 23-year-old Josiah Schakel. The 6-foot-1 linebacker was a star with the Alberta Golden Bears, being named the was named the Canada West Outstanding Defensive Player and Student-Athlete Community Service Award winner for 2021.

At No. 25 in the third round, the Stamps drafted defensive back Demetri Royer, a 5-foot-11, 200 pounder out of the NCAA’s Western Illinois Leathernecks.

In the fourth at No. 34, they drafted offensive lineman Jacob Butler, a 6-foot-6, 305-lb. 22-year-old out of the Queen’s University Gaels program in U SPORTS football. 

In the fifth round — 43rd overall — they took another o-lineman in Regina Cougars’ Joel Braden, a 6-foot-5, 325-lb. U SPORTS giant who is 25 years old.

The Stamps went with running back Rasheed Tucker in the sixth round — 52nd overall. The 5-foot-11, 195 pounder is 20 out of Queen’s.

In Round 7 with the 61st pick, the Red & White plucked defensive back Shaquille St-Lot, a 6-foot, 195-lb. defensive back who ran with the NCAA’s Maine Black Bears.

And with their last pick in the eighth round — 70th overall — the Stampeders chose 6-foot, 182-lb. defensive back Daniel Amoako. He’s a 23 out of the U SPORTS York Lions program.

The Stamps also made three choices in the CFL Global Draft, held earlier Tuesday.

With their first-round choice — seventh overall — they grabbed hulking offensive lineman Bamidele Olasemi from London, U.K. The 6-foot-7, 309-lb. Olasemi played three seasons (2019-21) for the NCAA’s Utah Utes, appearing in 14 games and starting 11 at left tackle in 2021. The 26-year-old was named second-team all-Pac 12 star for his senior season. Olasemi transferred to the Utes from Garden City (Kan.) Community College, where he was first-team all-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. He signed with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent on April 30.

With their second-round pick — 12th overall — the Stampeders drafted linebacker Ryan Gomes. The 6-foot, 217-lb. Gomes was born in North Carolina but raised in Brazil and began playing football at the age of 18 for Galo in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte. He then played for the Mexican university of La Universidad de las Americas Puebla. Gomes, 24, was signed by the CFL’s Ottawa RedBlacks on April 29, 2021, and was released on May 20, 2021.

The Stamps’ third pick — 25th overall — in the global draft was Australian Bailey Devine-Scott, a 6-foot-1, 200-lb. defensive back. In three seasons with the NCAA’s Western New England Golden Bears, Devine-Scott played in 24 games at safety, making 133 tackles including three tackles for loss, 16 pass breakups, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and blocked one extra kick. Devine-Scott, 21, was a two-time first-team all-Commonwealth Coast Conference player and won the CCC’s Senior Perseverance and Achievement Award winner in 2021. He was the first Western New England player selected to the Tropical Bowl when he participated in 2022. Devine-Scott was an under-19 Gridiron Australia captain after making the switch from rugby.

On Monday, the Stamps signed former NFL defensive lineman Terrell McClain.

The University of South Florida product has 92 games of NFL experience — including 34 starts — with the Carolina Panthers, the Houston Texans, the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Football Team and the Las Vegas Raiders. McClain counted 119 tackles and 7.5 sacks in his NFL action. He was the Panthers’ third-round selection — 65th overall — in the 2011 NFL Draft.

tsaelhof@postmedia.com