Every year, from the final whistle of the Super Bowl through to the end of August, football fans across the country grapple with the inability to watch their favorite game played at a high level. There have been many attempts at starting springtime football leagues, but very few have lasted. Whether it be the Alliance of American Football, which lasted only eight weeks before financial insolvency, or the multiple attempts made by the XFL and the United States Football League — now merged as the United Football League — to gain a foothold in the market, there have been no cases of a spring or summertime football league turning a profit.
Except for in Canada, where the Canadian Football League has been a northern sporting mainstay since 1958. To an American viewer, the Canadian version of the game fits in an uncanny valley of sports — recognizable as football but markedly different. The offense has only three downs to advance the ball 10 yards, the field is wider and longer and the ball was historically bigger, plus teams can even score one point by punting or kicking the ball through the endzone. But it is still football, and very good American players — those who have just barely missed the cut for the NFL — often find themselves playing several seasons, or even a full career, up North.
The CFL does have team-building restrictions that limits the number of non-Canadian players a team can employ, meaning that earning a spot on one of the nine teams in the league is a daunting task. The CFL regular season runs from early June until the end of October, and a handful of former Cavaliers are currently playing in the league, all making noticeable impacts for their respective teams.
Darrius Bratton — defensive back, Edmonton Elks
Defensive back Darrius Bratton spent six years at the University before declaring for the NFL Draft in 2022. However, after going undrafted, he signed with the Edmonton Elks in 2023, playing all 18 games for the team in his first season in the CFL.
In his time as a Cavalier, Bratton played 51 games, logging 77 tackles and no interceptions. In his first year with the Elks, he intercepted one pass, and this year he has already brought his career tally to three with pickoffs against the Saskatchewan Roughriders June 8 and the Ottawa Redblacks July 19. The Elks have started off the season with zero wins and six losses, but they are hoping to right the ship in their game Sunday against the also struggling Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Edmonton’s passing defense is strong, but many of the team’s statistical woes are found in the inability to stop the run and get their own rushing attack going. Bratton is an aggressive tackler and will hopefully lead a significant turnaround in run defense as his Elks aim to get their season back on track.
Elliott Brown — defensive lineman, Edmonton Elks
A number of offseason defensive line departures, as well as the arrival of new defensive coordinator Jason Shivers, has given defensive lineman Elliott Brown more playing time to test his mettle against high-level offenses. He only played nine games last year in his first season with the Elks in which the team only won four games and was tied for the worst record in the league. However, in the first six games of this season, Brown has already recorded more tackles than in the entirety of 2023, as well as tying his professional career high of two sacks.
The new Elks defensive line is far from perfect, but the team has made it clear that they are betting on Brown, whose athletic tools — standing at 6-foot-5 and recording a 4.59-second 40-yard dash — leave them optimistic about the lineman’s future.
Dejon Brissett — wide receiver, Toronto Argonauts
Some of the most sought after assets in the CFL are Canadian-born players who played college football in the U.S. That is why Mississauga, Ontario native Dejon Brissett was selected second overall in the 2020 CFL Draft, even after not being used often by the Cavaliers under Coach Bronco Mendenhall. A graduate transfer from the University of Richmond, Brissett appeared in just 12 games for the Cavaliers, recording two receptions for a combined 18 yards.
Though his time in Charlottesville might not have been remarkable, Brissett has had a solid start to his CFL career. The 6-foot-1 receiver is in his fourth season playing for the Toronto Argonauts, winning the Grey Cup with the team in 2022 as well as recording 594 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2023. After re-signing with the team in February, he played in two games, recording five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. However, he is currently out with a knee injury. Additionally, one might look at the 3-3 Argonauts’ inclination to the run game and transition to a new quarterback as another reason for Brissett’s statistical dip.
Eric Smith — offensive lineman, Calgary Stampeders
As a Cavalier, Eric Smith helped block for quarterback Kurt Benkert in the 2016 season, when Benkert became the fastest Cavalier signal caller to throw for 2,000 yards in a season. A 28 year old offensive tackle from Atlanta, Ga., Smith went undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft before signing with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent.
Over the past seven years, Smith has spent time on a number of NFL practice teams and has played in four NFL games. He signed with the Calgary Stampeders in April, and is currently on the team’s practice squad.
Taquan Mizzell — running back, free agent
Though Bratton, Brissett, Brown and Smith are the only former Cavaliers currently on CFL teams, other players, recognizable from their times in Charlottesville, played in the 2023 season and are currently unrestricted free agents. Former Virginia running back Taquan Mizzell Sr. played the 2023 season for the BC Lions out of Vancouver, British Columbia, serving as their primary rushing option and occasional receiving target. In 2023, Mizzell was ninth in the CFL in rushing yards and seventh in carries. The Virginia Beach native and former NFL player's best performance came in a 112-yard and two-touchdown win over the Elks late in the season.
Mizzell was the No. 4 all-purpose back in the nation when he committed to Virginia, and in 2015 his 721 receiving yards broke the ACC record for the most in one season by a running back. After a decent performance in the 2023 playoffs — recording 65 rushing yards in 16 carries and seven receptions for 57 receiving yards — Mizzell was released by the Lions during training camp.
Mike Moore — defensive lineman, free agent
Defensive lineman Mike Moore, also a free agent, played eight seasons in the CFL for four different teams — an impressive feat in a league where the average player has only played three seasons. Prior to that, Moore played four seasons for the Cavaliers — from 2012 to 2015 — registering 49 tackles and 12 sacks in his time at Virginia. After leaving Charlottesville, he played his first five years in Canada with the Elks, then played all 18 games for the Montreal Alouettes in the 2022 season, finishing the regular season with an impressive six sacks. Despite announcing his retirement in May 2023, Moore ultimately played the season for the Calgary Stampeders, logging two sacks in 12 games.
While many Virginia fans focus on Cavaliers in the NFL, it is just as important to watch for former stars in the CFL too, as professional leagues across the border are perfectly mesmerizing in their own right. Canadian football is a special brand of the game, one marked by several Cavaliers making an impact across the league.
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