The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have signed Canadian defensive lineman Kwaku Boateng, the club announced on Wednesday.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old missed all of last season with a torn Achilles he suffered in training camp with the Ottawa Redblacks. He is expected to be paired with Mason Bennett to create a Canadian rotation at defensive end for the Ticats.
The six-foot-two, 260-pounder was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 CFL draft by the Edmonton Football Team. He spent four seasons with the team, recording 83 total tackles, 25 sacks, and one forced fumble in 64 career games.
As a rookie, Boateng displayed the ability to get to opposing quarterbacks even as a rotational player. During his sophomore season, Boateng earned a starting role and recorded nine sacks to earn team Most Outstanding Canadian honours. He followed that up with eight sacks in 2019.
Prior to his CFL career, Boateng was a two-time U Sports All-Canadian and played an integral role in Laurier’s 2016 Yates Cup championship, the program’s first since 2005. Boateng is the Golden Hawks’ career sack leader (20.5) and proved his ability to rush the passer at the university level. He was a two-time academic All-Canadian as well.
