The CFL season begins Thursday with East Carolina football alum Justin Hardy and the Ottawa Redblacks in action.
Hardy, one of the top receivers in the CFL and the top threat in catches and yards last season, will lead the Redblacks against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the league’s kickoff. Some of the buzz created by TSN.ca — Canada’s version of ESPN — has been new Ottawa quarterback Dru Brown. He enters his second season as the starter and looks to help the team reach the playoffs for the second straight season after a 2024 season that saw them get to the postseason for the first time in six seasons.
TSN wrote about the game, in part, “A native of Palo Alto, Calif., Brown showed immediate rapport with top receiving threat Justin Hardy, who led all pass-catchers in the East Division with a career-high 1,343 receiving yards in 2024.
“Hardy, Kalil Pimbleton, and Bralon Addison formed one of the best wide receiver groups in the league last season, helping the Redblacks post the second-highest passing yardage mark in the CFL.”
There are other games to highlight Week 1 that happen after that:
Friday: Toronto Argonauts vs. Montreal Alouettes
Toronto is without defensive back and ECU football alum DaShaun Amos, who is now with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Montreal has receiver and fellow ECU alum Tyler Snead, who is healthy and ready to contribute more in 2025.
Another ECU alum, OL Hamton Ergle, is on Toronto’s practice squad.
Saturday: Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Calgary Stampeders
ECU alum DaShaun Amos has taken his talents to Hamilton and will lead a squad trying to return to the playoffs after missing out for the first time since 2017. He helped Toronto win the Grey Cup last season and stood out as one of the top cornerbacks in the CFL.
Saturday: Edmonton Elks vs. British Columbia Lions
ECU alum Jeremy Lewis is on the Lions and made the team after some stellar play in the preseason.
Off: Winnipeg Blue Bombers
ECU alum Stanley Bryant’s team is off on Week 1. He’s indicated this is his last season playing, so everyone wants to send him out a winner with another Grey Cup.
Winnipeg’s season begins June 12 at home against the BC Lions.
Click here to read more about the CFL’s Week 1.
Photo credit: Justin Hardy (Ottawa Redblacks photo)
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