The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have signed five American players to their roster, including receivers Brennan Eagles and Neil Pau’u, running back Tayon Fleet-Davis, defensive back DeMarkus Acy and offensive lineman Gannon Grider.
The 24-year-old Eagles played 32 games over three seasons at the University of Texas (2018-2020), registering 61 receptions for 1,026 yards and 11 touchdowns. The six-foot-four, 229-pound Baton Rouge, Louisiana native played in the USFL with the Philadelphia Stars in 2022 and spent time in the NFL with both the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers after going undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The six-foot, 213-pound Fleet-Davis played 42 games over five seasons (2017-2021) at the University of Maryland, totalling 276 carries for 1,343 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 52 receptions for 549 yards and four touchdowns. The 24-year-old native of Oxon Hill, Maryland was most recently in training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.
Acy spent time in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders in 2021, and with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. The six-foot-two, 195-pound Dallas, Texas native played 47 games over four seasons at the University of Missouri, where he posted 99 total tackles, six tackles for loss, three interceptions, 23 pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The 24-year-old was named second-team All-Southeastern Conference by the coaches in 2018.
The 23-year-old Grider played 40 games over five seasons at Benedictine University (2018-2022). The native of Highland, Indiana primarily featured at right tackle during his time with the Eagles. While at Benedictine, the six-foot-seven, 310-pounder also competed in numerous track & field events, including shot put, discus, hammer throw, weight throw and javelin.
A native of Santa Ana, California, Pau’u played 46 games over four seasons at Brigham Young University (2017-2021) where he totalled 1,484 yards and 13 touchdowns. The six-foot-four, 215-pound pass catcher spent time with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in 2022.
