Gaels find homes in the CFL – The Queen’s Journal

Over the past couple of months, several Queen’s football players have competed alongside the nation’s best talent for spots on professional rosters in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Among the top prospects from across Canada, and even those hailing from south of the border with Canadian nationality somewhere in their bloodline, three Gaels have signed training camp contracts with professional football teams.

Ryan Berta, ArtSci ’25, an offensive lineman from Hamilton, Ontario, spent five years on the Queen’s Football team. Throughout his career as a Gael, Berta became a core piece of the offensive line, playing 35 games total throughout his stint in Kingston.

After tallying 30 reps of 225 pounds at the bench press during the CFL combine, the most of any athlete that day, Berta inked a contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. While the Roughriders would make good use of the 6’3” and 300-pound lineman, the mandate for each CFL team to have 75 players forced the team to cut eight players, leading to Berta being released.

Jared Chisari, MSc ’25, Queen’s star running back (RB) who broke the single season rushing yards record with 1,379 yards, spent only two years on the Gaels roster. Serving as the primary offensive weapon during the 2023-24 season, Chisari went undrafted but received a training camp invite from the Ottawa Redblacks.

The Redblacks have since offered the fourth-ranked RB of all Canadian University athletes a full-time roster spot, making him the second Gael to officially find himself a home within professional football.

Olivier Muembi, ArtSci ’25, a 6’2” linebacker from Stoney Creek, Ontario, was the only Gael selected during the CFL draft, going 21 overall to the Edmonton Elks. During his single year with the Gaels, Muembi made a significant impact defensively, registering 28 solo tackles, 22 assisted tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, and a 13-yard sack in just 10 games.

Muembi was signed to the Elk’s roster on May 6, making him the first of his classmates to earn a professional football gig.

Traditionally, Gaels who have found themselves on CFL rosters have enjoyed successful careers, with names like Larry Mohr, Jim “Dirty Thirty” Young, and even the first Canadian to be drafted in the first round of the National Football League (NFL), Mike Schad, all leading successful careers.

Schad is a standout within Queen’s historic football program. An offensive tackle, he was selected 23 overall in the 1986 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams. Throughout his career, he also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns.

While it’s hard to compare players of the past to the athletes of the present, the intensity of players like Muembi and Chisari match that of the legendary Schad, and should they stay disciplined, there is little doubt their dominance will translate to professional football.

For the Gaels who couldn’t crack CFL rosters this year, it isn’t rare the CFL turns to free agents to bolster their ranks should some of their selected players fail to pan out. So, for players like Berta, it’s best to stay in shape, and make yourself ready and available should he hear that phone ring.

Tags

CFL, Football, NFL

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