Three members of the Carleton Ravens football team have been selected in the 2020 Canadian Football League (CFL) draft.
Jesse Lawson was selected 62nd overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Mitchell Raper was selected 68th overall by the Edmonton Eskimos, and Jack Cassar was selected 11th overall by the Toronto Argonauts.
Lawson said he was overjoyed when he received the call about his selection because going professional has been one of his goals for a while.
“I was really taken aback when I found out I was being selected,” Lawson added. “It has been something that I have been working hard towards for years now, so to finally have an opportunity to play in the CFL means a lot to me.”
Lawson said his time at Carleton has allowed him to grow into the player he is now.
“Every year allowed me to develop not only on the field but in the weight room and all other aspects that are required to be a pro,” he said.
“When I got the call it felt like all of my hard work had finally paid off, it’s an amazing feeling,” he said. “A lot of my success is due to my team, I’ve had 15 different coaches at Carleton and they’ve all pushed me to become better.”
The third Carleton player, Cassar, was unavailable for comment about being selected in the draft.
Steve Sumarah, coach of the Carleton Ravens Football team, said he was proud to see the draft unfold.
“Our team has developed a reputation as a program that develops quality players, this draft is an example of hard work paying off,” Sumarah said.
Sumarah also expressed excitement for the future of the Ravens team, and said he hopes to keep showing the quality of Carleton’s professional athletes to CFL teams.
“All three of these men are team players,” Sumarah added. “They worked hard and were committed to improving their game every year.”
The future of next season is still in question since sports have been cancelled due to COVID-19, but Lawson said he is not letting the uncertain future interfere with his training.
“Right now it’s just a waiting game, all I can do is make sure I am ready to go when the CFL gets the green light to hold training camps,” he said.
Regardless of the current situation, Raper said he is dedicated to putting in the work by using his creativity to account for the lack of exercise equipment he has at home, despite the challenge of finding motivation in self-isolation.
“Working with your teammates is much easier, everyone feeds off of each other’s energy and excitement.”
Although next year’s season is uncertain, Raper said he is thankful for his time spent at Carleton.
“My time with the Carleton Ravens football team has been the most fun, rewarding and positive organization I’ve ever been a part of.”
Featured image from file.
