SASKATOON – In a year unlike any other some normalcy returned to the football world May 4, as three members of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies were chosen in the Canadian Football League Draft.
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Nelson Lokombo (round 1, pick 2),
Connor Berglof (round three, pick 24) and
Josh Hagerty (round 6, pick 47) all persevered through the cancellation of the 2020 U SPORTS season en route to becoming the latest Huskies to take another step on the path to playing professional football.
"Often we throw around a lot of superlatives about athletes, like tough, resilient and smart but that absolutely does describe these guys. Having their 2020 season taken away from them and missing out on an opportunity to really shine has been tough," said Huskies head coach
Scott Flory. "These guys have fought through, they've battled. They are humble, hard-working, low maintenance guys and I'm so proud of how focused they've been."
Heading into Tuesday just three Huskies had been selected in the first two picks In the past 36 years of the CFL draft. That changed when the Roughriders called Lokombo's name with the second pick of the night
Joining Dan Farthing (2nd, 1991), Dylan Barker (1st, 2008) and Ben Heenan (1st, 2012) in the record books, Lokombo was the 2019 U SPORTS Defensive Player of the Year and sits both second and third in program history with interception returns of 98 and 95 yards.
"The Riders got an absolute gem. He is so smart, he feels the game so well, is coachable, humble and is just a phenomenal athlete," said Flory. "He has a really bright future ahead of him there's no doubt about it. He is as sure-fire of a prospect as there is."
Originally from Abbotsford, B.C., Lokombo becomes the seventh Huskie to go in the first round since 2005 and will join former teammate
Mattland Riley in Regina after Riley went seventh overall to the Riders last year.
Next off the board for the Huskies was Saskatoon product
Connor Berglof who will be joining the Ottawa REDBLACKS. A Canada West All-Star and First Team All-Canadian in 2019, the arts & science student was a key piece on an offensive line that paved the way for the top rushing offence in the country 2019.
"I know that the REDBLACKS love the toughness and grit of the western Canadian kids and that's exactly what they are getting with Connor," said Flory. "He's extremely physical and will have every opportunity to succeed there."
Rounding out the Huskies night was hard-hitting safety
Josh Hagerty. Taken by the Toronto Argonauts, the business student from Regina tallied 13.5 total tackles in just six games in 2019. Poised for a break out campaign in 2020 , Hagerty recorded a career-high five tackles in the Huskies last game of 2019, a Hardy Cup tilt with the Calgary Dinos.
"The cancelled season unfortunately led to a missed opportunity for him. I think if there was a 2020 season you would have seen him taken earlier," said Flory. "But Josh has made the best of it and has been working his tail off and he deserves the chance. He can contribute right away, he's long, rangy, physical and can run."
