The 2024 Summer Olympics got underway in Paris on Friday, with athletes from 184 countries cruising down the river Seine before competing in 329 events across 45 different sports. Still, there will be one thing missing from the festivities in France: football.
Flag football will make its debut at the Los Angeles games in 2028, with Canada currently focused on the four-year road to qualification. However, after the U20 national team defeated Team Japan to secure their third consecutive gold medal at the IFAF World Junior Championships in Edmonton last month, many fans are dreaming about an international tackle tournament on the biggest stage in sports.
A group is already working hard at assembling a roster to qualify for the 2025 IFAF World Senior Men’s Championship in Germany, with tryouts taking place across the country for the first men’s national team in 14 years. That still won’t answer the question of what a true Team Canada would look like for a best-on-best competition at the Olympic games, which is where 3DownNation steps in.
Three years have passed since we answered that very question ahead of the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the football landscape has changed dramatically. Some of the selections aged like fine French wine, others now smell like stinky French cheese, but a new look was badly needed for Paris.
Our rules were simple: using IFAF’s standard 45-man roster limit, select the best possible Canadian team for an Olympic tournament played under American rules — as all international events currently are.
Only active players were eligible for selection but anyone entitled to citizenship was considered, regardless of whether they’ve ever lived in Canada. Before you protest, David Onyemata was NOT eligible for this team as he is a Nigerian citizen and only attended university in Canada. For this project, all players were assumed to be fully healthy but the roster had to be able to survive a two-week tournament with multiple games without replacements, meaning versatility was paramount in the roster construction.
Yesterday, we revealed Team Canada’s star-studded offence. Today, it’s time for the defence and special teams to shine.
* asterisks denote players who were selected for the team in 2021.
Defensive linemen
Nathan Shepherd, New Orleans Saints (Ajax, Ont.) — Shepherd was excluded from our last Olympic team due to a PED violation but enough time has passed to restore his eligibility. Coincidentally, he’s also rounded into form since then and posted a career-high 3.5 sacks while starting all 17 games last year. At 315 pounds, he can play as the pass-rushing defensive tackle on Canada’s three-man front.
Brent Urban, Baltimore Ravens (Mississauga, Ont.)* — Urban seems to only get better with age, as the 33-year-old posted a career-high three sacks last year in his 10th NFL season. Canada’s elder statesman at 3-4 defensive end also has the distinction of having been coached by 3Down‘s own Ben Grant at Lorne Park Secondary School.
Michael Hoecht, Los Angeles Rams (Oakville, Ont)* — An Ivy League graduate and a physical freak, Hoecht has gone from undrafted nobody to a full-time NFL starter with six sacks last year. While he may have unique movement skills for a big man, the Rams made a mistake by aligning him as an outside linebacker and he’ll hopefully bulk back up a little to play defensive end for the national team.
Neville Gallimore, Miami Dolphins (Ottawa, Ont.)* — It’s fair to say that Gallimore never really lived up to expectations as a third-round pick in Dallas, but the Oklahoma product is still an established NFLer who brings a ton of value to this team. Expect the 315-pounder to get a ton of reps in the rotation at nose tackle.
Akheem Mesidor, University of Miami (Ottawa, Ont.) — An injury derailed Mesidor’s 2023 season for the Hurricanes but 17.5 career sacks dating back to his time at West Virginia prove that he deserves a spot on this roster. The 280-pounder will be the first Canadian off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft and could easily rise into the first-round conversation.
Lwal Uguak, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Edmonton, Alta.) — Uguak had plenty of questions to answer after his challenging senior season at TCU but put forth a sparkling rookie year in the CFL and was an underrated factor in the Alouettes’ Grey Cup run. Now in camp with Tampa Bay, he’s earned the chance to make a similar impact for Team Canada.
Missing the cut: Eli Ankou, Buffalo Bills* | Noah Curtis, Edmonton Elks | Cleyon Laing, Ottawa Redblacks | Christian Covington, B.C. Lions*
Edge defenders
Mathieu Betts, Detroit Lions (Montreal, Que.)* — The reigning CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player was just a pup when he made our 2021 squad but now he’s an established veteran coming off a historic 18-sack season. Only time will tell if his late career shot in Detroit works out but he’ll be starting on the edge for this team regardless.
Tavius Robinson, Baltimore Ravens (Guelph, Ont.) — From the University of Guelph to Ole Miss, Robinson has risen to every opportunity and now contributes on one of the best defences in football. With impressive length at six-foot-six, the 2023 fourth-round pick should cause problems for international opponents.
Jesse Luketa, Arizona Cardinals (Ottawa, Ont.) — Luketa has carved out a lunch pail role on special teams in Arizona, which will be highly valuable on this squad. He has also looked solid when setting the edge in preseason and will not look out of place if asked to do more on defence.
Luiji Vilain, Carolina Panthers (Ottawa, Ont.) — Vilain hasn’t gotten his lucky break quite yet as an undrafted player in the NFL, but it’s hard to forget his nine-sack season for Wake Forest in 2021. He can bring some rotational pass rush upside to this roster.
Missing the cut: Robbie Smith, Toronto Argonauts | Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, Montreal Alouettes* | Josh Archibald, B.C. Lions
Linebackers
Alex Singleton, Denver Broncos (Thousand Oaks, Cal.)* — Make no mistake as to who the defensive captain will be for Canada, as Singleton holds down the middle for a crew of NFL veterans. The former CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player and dual-citizen has amassed 602 tackles since leaving the three-down league, surpassing the century mark in each of the past four years.
Cameron Judge, Calgary Stampeders (Montreal, Que.)* — Team Canada’s ideal roster construction means that they’ll spend a lot of time defensively in a 3-3-5, with only one true linebacker on the field. Judge’s incredible athleticism and impressive versatility make him a valuable chess piece in that system, as the former CFL all-star can play in the middle, roll to safety, or rush off the edge as needed.
Ben Hladik, B.C. Lions (Vernon, B.C.) — After becoming the fourth Canadian in CFL history to post more than 100 tackles in a season, Hladik wasn’t going to be left off the Olympic squad. Though he’s near the top of the league in defensive plays once again, he’ll likely serve as the top special teamer on Team Canada.
Geoffrey Cantin-Arku, Montreal Alouettes (Levis, Que.) — Choosing Cantin-Arku over Chicago’s Amen Ogbongbemiga was one of the most agonizing decisions on this roster but I sided with the bigger-bodied rookie over the smaller veteran. I expect this choice to get better with time, as the first-round CFL Draft pick’s outstanding play as a rotational component in the Alouettes’ defence should land him an NFL shot next year.
Missing the cut: Amen Ogbongbemiga, Chicago Bears* | Bo Lokombo, B.C. Lions* | Joel Dublanko, Edmonton Elks | Adam Auclair, Saskatchewan Roughriders | Micah Teitz, Calgary Stampeders
Cornerbacks
Benjamin St-Juste, Washington Commanders (Montreal, Que.)* — There was a time when cornerback would have been a gaping hole on this roster. Not anymore, as St-Juste is a legitimate NFL starter with truly unique size at six-foot-three. He’s a worthy lockdown number one on a talented defence.
Deane Leonard, Los Angeles Chargers (Calgary, Alta.)* — From dominating the Canada West to starting games in the NFL, Leonard has been a trailblazer for a new generation of Canadian defensive backs. He’ll look especially nice back in red, covering the opposite side of the field from St-Juste.
Tevaughn Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars (Scarborough, Ont.)* — There is no question that the 31-year-old Campbell is nearing the end of his career, dressing for just two games last year. The former track star and occasional rugby player should still have enough gas to represent the maple leaf one last time on the gridiron.
Tyrell Ford, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Niagara Falls, Ont.) — The twin brother of our backup quarterback selection, Ford has looked right at home as a starting corner for Winnipeg this year. With true 4.4-speed, he can help deal with any particularly troublesome deep threats and make an impact as a return specialist.
Missing the cut: Nelson Lokombo, Saskatchewan Roughriders | Adrian Greene, B.C. Lions | Patrice Rene, B.C. Lions | Ben Labrosse, Calgary Stampeders | Jett Elad, University of Nevada Las Vegas
Safeties
Jevon Holland, Miami Dolphins (Coquitlam, B.C.)* — Canada’s biggest star is on the back end but don’t expect Holland to stay sequestered up high. As has become popular in the NFL, this team will have three safeties on the field a significant amount and Miami’s do-it-all defender will make it possible. He’ll line up wherever the team needs him and cover the slot whenever necessary.
Sydney Brown, Philadelphia Eagles (London, Ont.) — At five-foot-10 and 210 pounds, Brown can be this team’s strong safety and rotate down into the box when needed, as he did regularly in college. The promising second-year Eagle joins his running back twin brother Chase on this national team.
Taylor Rapp, Buffalo Bills (Bellingham, Wash.) — Eligible for Canadian citizenship through his father, Rapp is a perfect addition to this defence. He can play free safety whenever Holland rotates into the slot and has a wealth of experience after five seasons in the NFL.
Marc-Antoine Dequoy, Montreal Alouettes (Montreal, Que.) — Nobody has more range at free safety in the CFL than Dequoy, who has become a driving force behind Montreal’s defensive dominance. His speed in coverage will allow him to step in at multiple spots in the secondary and fly down the field on special teams.
Jonathan Sutherland, Free Agent (Ottawa, Ont.) — Sutherland was released by the Seattle Seahawks earlier this week, but his spot in Canada’s lineup was already assured. Not only was he exceptional in NFL preseason action last year, but he also showed during his college career at Penn State that he can play high safety, contribute as a linebacker, and effectively cover the slot. He was also one of the NCAA’s best special teamers, which only strengthens his candidacy.
Missing the cut: Stavros Katsantonis, Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Royce Metchie, Toronto Argonauts | Alonzo Addae, Ottawa Redblacks* | Redha Kramdi, Winnipeg Blue Bombers | Tunde Adeleke, Toronto Argonauts*
Specialists
Lirim Hajrullahu, Toronto Argonauts (St. Catharines, Ont.)* — It may seem strange to select Hajrullahu given the impressive clip that Sean Whyte is on this season, but the national team requires someone who can both kick and punt so as not to waste a roster spot. Though he doesn’t do it in games anymore, the former Western Mustang once did both jobs at an elite level.
Luke Burton-Krahn, Edmonton Elks (Victoria, B.C.) — Pro Football Focus recently named Burton-Krahn as the top long snapper in the CFL through seven weeks, but that’s not what earns him selection. A tight roster means you need your specialists to contribute in other ways and the second-year pro is as athletic as any linebacker or edge rusher on this squad.
Missing the cut: Sean Whyte, B.C. Lions | Rene Paredes, Calgary Stampeders | Trenton Gill, Denver Broncos | Jake Julien, Edmonton Elks | Riley Pickett, B.C. Lions
