Kay Okafor

Kaetochuku "Kay" Okafor[1] (born January 27, 1993) is a professional Canadian football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. He was drafted in the third round, 21st overall, by the Tiger-Cats in the 2017 CFL Draft.[2] He played college football for the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. He has previously played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Kay Okafor
Okafor before a Tiger-Cats game in 2019
Born: (1993-01-27) January 27, 1993
Enugu, Nigeria
Career information
CFL statusNational
Position(s)Offensive lineman
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight281 lb (127 kg)
UniversitySt. Francis Xavier
AFLHolland Hurricanes
CFL Draft2017 / Round: 3 / Pick: 21
Drafted byHamilton Tiger-Cats
Career history
As player
2017–2022Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Career stats

College career

Okafor first played gridiron football for the Holland College Hurricanes of the Atlantic Football League in 2012 as a defensive lineman.[3] He transferred to St. Francis Xavier University in 2013 to play for the X-Men football team. He played for four years with the team, appearing in 27 regular season games. He finished his AUS career as a member of the AUS championship team in 2016 while serving as a team captain.[1]

Professional career

In the final CFL Scouting Bureau Rankings, Okafor was listed as the 15th best prospect available in the 2017 CFL Draft.[4] This led to him being drafted 21st overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and signing with the team on May 24, 2017.[2] He played in both 2017 pre-season games for the Tiger-Cats and converted from the defensive line to the offensive line in training camp that year. He spent the 2017 season on the practice roster. In 2018, Okafor made the active roster out of training camp and dressed in his first professional game on June 16, 2018.[5] He played in nine games in 2018 in a reserve role. Okafor played in all 18 regular season games in 2019 where he also had his first three career starts.[6]

Okafor did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season. He became a regular starter for the team in 2021 and started the first eight regular season games, but did not play for the rest of the season due to injury.[7] On February 14, 2023, Okafor became a free agent.[8]

Personal life

Okafor was born and raised in Nigeria and moved to Prince Edward Island in 2011 and attended the University of Prince Edward Island there.[1][9] His parents, three sisters, and brother lived in Nigeria while he attended university in Canada.[1]

References
  1. "Earn degree, get drafted by the CFL: All in a day's work for Kay Okafor". cbc.ca. May 19, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  2. "Tiger-Cats sign entire 2017 draft class". cfl.ca. May 24, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  3. "Ex-Hurricanes lineman Kay Okafor aims to make Tiger-Cats". The Guardian. May 31, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  4. Senior tops final CFL Scouting Bureau Ranking, Canadian Football League, April 13, 2017, retrieved July 3, 2019
  5. "Kay Okafor bio". Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  6. "2021 CFL Guide" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  7. "Grey Cup #108 Game Notes" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  8. "Transactions – Football player trades and signings". Canadian Football League. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  9. "Nigeria to the Black & Gold: The Story of Kay Okafor". May 9, 2017.
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