Andre Durie is the latest York Lion to earn a job in the Canadian Football League.
The former Lions star running back has been placed on the Toronto Argonauts’ developmental roster after going to training camp as an undrafted free agent. Durie becomes the third Lion on a CFL roster, joining Argos teammate Jeff Johnson (running back) and BC Lions defensive lineman Ricky Foley.
Right: Andre Durie
He is coming off his best season, during which he had 264 receiving yards and 227 rushing yards.
“The York football program is very excited for Andre and his opportunity,” said Andy McEvoy, York’s interim head coach. “He has worked very hard and we know he’ll succeed, the same way he succeeded at this level.”
Durie has gone through a gruelling rehabilitation process since suffering a serious knee injury in the second game of the 2005 season against the Queen’s Golden Gaels in Kingston. The injury left the Mississauga native with no feeling in his lower left leg. Before the injury, Durie rushed for 2,212 yards and 24 touchdowns in two seasons at York. He set an Ontario University Athletics record for most yards in a game (349 vs Ottawa, 2003) and tied a record for most touchdowns in a game (six vs Waterloo, 2004).
All three Lions are expected to be at the Rogers Centre on Thursday (June 28, 6:30pm, TSN, FAN 590) when BC faces Toronto in the CFL season opener.
Foley started at defensive end for BC in the pre-season. He enters his second year in the CFL after earning a tryout with the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens. Johnson is in his eighth season in the CFL and his sixth with the
Submitted to YFile by Mike Koreen, sport & recreation information officer in York’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health.