A member of the York University Lions football team saw his professional athlete dreams come true on Tuesday night when Luther Hakunavanhu heard his name called in the 2021 Canadian Football League (CFL) Draft.
Hakunavanhu, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound receiver from Edmonton, Alta., will head back to his home province after the Calgary Stampeders selected him in the fifth round, with the 44th overall pick. He blossomed into a top target for the team’s quarterbacks throughout his career. He joined the Lions in 2017 and played in all 16 games over his two most recent seasons, including starting all eight in 2019. That year, he led the Lions in receiving yards (470) and touchdowns (three) and was second in total receptions (29). He registered 69 catches for 951 yards and six touchdowns during his time with the Lions.
Known for his tremendous athleticism, Hakunavanhu also starred on special teams and in 2019, recorded eight total tackles.
It marks the fourth straight year the Lions have had a player drafted into the CFL and a total of eight players selected in that stretch.