Jordan Williams a "National"?

[Foxhound]

So I see that Lions' LB Jordan Williams who's nearly 27 years old has set a record for tackles by a rookie Canadian/non-import/national with 81 breaking the mark of 75 set by Michael O'Shea of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at the age of 23 in 1993. When I checked Williams' background, however, I was perplexed.

Jordan Williams was born on 23 November 1994 in Baltimore, Maryland and never lived in Canada until coming here to play for the British Columbia Lions. He went to high schools in York, Pennsylvania and Fayetteville, North Carolina. Academic issues kept him from being accepted by any college until he finally managed to enroll at Shaw University a black Baptist college in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Don't get me started on how "students" lacking good academic qualifications are courted by U.S. colleges.) That then was the springboard he needed during his freshman year to get a football scholarship to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

But because his mother had been born in Toronto, he was eligible to be fast-tracked for Canadian citizenship and the Lions were able to sign him as a "national" in 2020. Given that many imports have settled down in Canada and taken out Canadian citizenship but they're still classified as "imports", I didn't understand how Williams' Canadian citizenship made any difference. But checking the small print of the most recent 2014 edition of the CFL Collective Bargaining Agreement gave me the answer:

"A player will be considered a national player if he was a Canadian citizen at the time of signing his first contract, was classified as a non-import prior to 31 May 2014 or was physically resident in Canada for an aggregate period of five years prior to reaching the age of 18."

But I'm still unhappy to see Michael O'Shea, a legitimate Canadian in every way, lose the record to a carpetbagger. Williams only took out Canadian citizenship to make it easier to land a spot with the Lions.

[TheLionKing]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Wi ... _football)

[Hambone]

Williams took out Canadian citizenship at the advice of Ottawa REDBLACKS' then GM Marcel Desjardins and HC Rick Campbell. Ottawa had brought him in to workout as an American back in 2019. When they found out his mother was a Canadian they told him it would be better for him and his career potential to apply for Canadian citizenship so he could play as a National. He did just that making himself eligible for the 2020 draft. No doubt Campbell's knowledge of him from recruiting him to come Ottawa in 2019 led to BC trading up to 1st overall spot to land him in 2020.

Classy move IMO by Ottawa at the time. They could have signed him and kept him back in 2019 permanently cementing his status as an American. But they let him go to put himself in a better position to have a longer and no doubt financially more beneficial career.

[David]

Meh, this happened with Alex Singleton too when he was drafted by the Stamps.

He had acquired a Canadian passport, having qualified for dual citizenship because his mother was born in Toronto.

Thems the rules.


DH

[B.C.FAN]

The rules surrounding Canadian or national status have changed many times over the years. Alex Singleton qualified as a national in the same
way that Williams did, even though he was raised in California. At one point it was possible
for imports who settled in Canada for a period of time to be considered Canadian players. It doesn’t bother me one way or another but I have a fondness for home-grown players who learned their football in Canada and played for local schools and community teams.

[SammyGreene]

Meh, this happened with Alex Singleton too when he was drafted by the Stamps.

He had acquired a Canadian passport, having qualified for dual citizenship because his mother was born in Toronto.

Thems the rules.


DH

And Utah born Ben Cahoon arguably the greatest “Canadian” receiver of all-time.

[Hambone]

The rules surrounding Canadian or national status have changed many times over the years. Alex Singleton qualified as a national in the same
way that Williams did, even though he was raised in California. At one point it was possible
for imports who settled in Canada for a period of time to be considered Canadian players. It doesn’t bother me one way or another but I have a fondness for home-grown players who learned their football in Canada and played for local schools and community teams.

Under the old system it was more about where a player got his football development but if a kid happened to live in Canada for 5 years before turning 15 if I recall he qualified as an NI regardless of where he was born or even if he'd never played a simgle down of organized football. Andrew Stewart was born im Jamaica, played HS in Uniondale NY and college at Cincinnatti but qualified as a non-import.

In another sport Freddie Freeman was born and raised in California but held Canadian citizenship due to both parents being Canadians. He would suit up for Canada in the 2017 Baseball World Classic.

[Foxhound]

Meh, this happened with Alex Singleton too when he was drafted by the Stamps.

He had acquired a Canadian passport, having qualified for dual citizenship because his mother was born in Toronto.

And Utah born Ben Cahoon arguably the greatest “Canadian” receiver of all-time.

Neither Ben Cahoon nor Alex Singleton were Canadians. As "nationals" they were absolute frauds. I always snarl when I see their names in the CFL Stats book under any kind of Canadian/national category.

[Foxhound]

...but I have a fondness for home-grown players who learned their football in Canada and played for local schools and community teams.

Meanwhile Boris Bede who played for Laval for four years and has lived in Canada ever since isn't classified as a "national". That's ridiculous.

It doesn’t bother me one way or another....

The fact that the CFL's definition of "national" flies in the face of the man in the street's understanding of who should qualify as a Canadian certainly bothers me. For one thing it just provides naysayers with additional ammunition to denigrate the CFL.

[Foxhound]

Thems the rules.

Well we all know them's the rules. What I'm arguing is that the rule flies in the face of common sense when it comes to who constitutes a "Canadian" and should therefore be changed.

[Hambone]

Thems the rules.

Well we all know them's the rules. What I'm arguing is that the rule flies in the face of common sense when it comes to who constitutes a "Canadian" and should therefore be changed.

What does your common sense say should be the definition of a Canadian for CFL ratio purposes?

Personally I find the current rules, while far from purrfect, more closely leverage the idea of being Canadian than the old import/non-import set up.

[Hambone]

Meanwhile Boris Bede who played for Laval for four years and has lived in Canada ever since isn't classified as a "national". That's ridiculous.

So by that definition any American who plays CIS ball, and there are many, should be considered a National for CFL purposes? If true does that mean any Canadian who plays NCAA ball outside of SFU should be considered an American for CFL purposes?

For the record Bede moved from France to the US in 2005. He played high school football in Massachussets before enrolling in Div II Tiffin University in Ohio in 2008 before transferring to Laval in 2011. He earned Honorable Mention All-GLIAC honors at Tiffin in 2009. Originally he was looking to play soccer at Sherbrooke or Laval before deciding on football at Laval.