The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed Canadian punter Dante Mastrogiuseppe.
The 26-year-old native of London, Ont. attended the CFL’s kicking showcase in San Diego in January where he got the chance to perform in front of scouts. He originally went unselected in the 2022 CFL Draft out of the University of Toronto.
Mastrogiuseppe started his collegiate career at York University where he punted 213 times for an average of 39.5 yards. He transferred to Toronto following the canceled 2020 season and punted 55 times for an average of 42.6 yards over eight games in 2021 to be named a second-team OUA all-star.
The Blue Bombers have also signed three American defensive backs, including Isaiah Norman, Patrick Rogers, and Demetries Ford.
Norman participated in training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023 after going unselected in the NFL draft.
The six-foot, 206-pound native of Memphis, Tenn. finished his collegiate career at Marshall University in 2022 where he made 23 total tackles and one fumble recovery in nine games. He previously played at Austin Peay State University from 2017 to 2020 and recorded 148 total tackles, six tackles for loss, 15 pass knockdowns, three interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Rogers was named a first-team American Football Coaches Association All-American in 2022 as part of a six-year run at Central Washington University. He made 175 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one sack over 46 collegiate games.
Ford finished his collegiate career at Arizona State University in 2023 where he made 31 total tackles, five pass knockdowns, and one forced fumble over 12 games. He previously played at Youngstown State in 2019 and 2020 and Austin Peay State University in 2021 and 2022. He was named third-team FCS All-American and All-Conference in 2022.
The Blue Bombers will open the 2024 regular season by hosting the Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes at Princess Auto Stadium on Thursday, June 6.