Matt O'Donnell (Canadian football)

Matthew O'Donnell (born March 26, 1989) is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman who played for ten years with the Edmonton Eskimos (Edmonton Elks) franchise of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a Vanier Cup champion after winning with the Queen's Gaels in 2009 and he is a Grey Cup champion after winning with Edmonton in 2015. He is also a two-time CFL West Division All-Star and was named a CFL All-Star in 2017.

Matt O'Donnell
O'Donnell with the Edmonton Elks in 2021
Born: (1989-03-26) March 26, 1989
Comox, British Columbia
Career information
StatusRetired
CFL statusNational
Position(s)Offensive lineman
Height6 ft 11 in (211 cm)
Weight310 lb (140 kg)
UniversityQueen's
High schoolHoly Cross
CFL Draft2011 / Round: 2 / Pick: 15
Drafted bySaskatchewan Roughriders
Career history
As player
2011–2012Cincinnati Bengals*
2012–2014Edmonton Eskimos
2015Cincinnati Bengals*
2015–2021Edmonton Eskimos / Elks
*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star2017
CFL West All-Star2017, 2019
Career stats

Early life

O'Donnell played high school football at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Kingston, Ontario.

University career

O'Donnell played CIS football for the Queen's Gaels from 2007 to 2010. He was named a CIS All-Canadian in 2009 and 2010 at offensive tackle. On December 17, 2010, it was announced that O'Donnell was one of two CIS players to be named to the East–West Shrine Game.[1]

Professional career

CFL

In the Canadian Football League's Amateur Scouting Bureau final rankings, he was ranked as the 11th best player for players eligible in the 2011 CFL Draft, and sixth by players in the CIS.[2] O'Donnell was chosen in the second round and 15th overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was the fourth offensive lineman taken in the draft, but was the highest CIS offensive lineman selected.

NBA

On May 31, 2011, it was reported that O'Donnell had chosen to delay his signing with the Roughriders due to the NBA's Boston Celtics put him through a workout session in June. This move was seen as peculiar given the fact that he had not played basketball since high school.[3]

O'Donnell also received interest from the Toronto Raptors and he attended a workout in June 2011.[4]

Cincinnati Bengals

On July 26, 2011, O'Donnell signed a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals one day after the 2011 NFL Lockout.[5] In December 2011, O'Donnell signed a 2-year extension with the Bengals.[6] He was waived by the Bengals on August 31, 2012.[7]

Edmonton Eskimos

The Roughriders traded O'Donnell's rights to the Edmonton Eskimos on September 5, 2012. He was officially signed by the Eskimos on September 17, 2012.[8] He played for the Eskimos from 2012 to 2014.

Cincinnati Bengals (II)

O'Donnell was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals again on February 2, 2015.[9] He was waived by the Bengals on September 5, 2015, after failing to make the 53-man final roster.

Edmonton Eskimos / Elks

On September 9, 2015, O'Donnell re-signed with the Edmonton Eskimos.[10] He played and started in eight regular season games and two post-season games, including his start at right guard in the Eskimos' 103rd Grey Cup win. O'Donnell re-signed with the Elks on June 24, 2021.[11] He played in all 14 regular season games for the Elks in 2021. He announced his retirement on February 3, 2022.[12]

References
  1. "Parker, O'Donnell selected to Shrine Game". Canadian Football League. December 17, 2010.
  2. "Muamba Amongst Top 15 in CFL Prospects". St. Francis Xavier athletic teams. April 5, 2011.
  3. https://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=367498 Roughrider's O'Donnell has tryout with the NBA's Celtics
  4. "Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos".
  5. "Bengals sign Canadian Matt O'Donnell". Sportsnet. July 26, 2011.
  6. "Queen's offensive lineman O'Donnell signs deal with Bengals". www.tsn.ca. Archived from the original on 2011-08-12.
  7. "Friday's NFL transactions list".
  8. "Eskimos agree to terms with Matthew O'Donnell". Canadian Football League. September 17, 2012.
  9. "Cincinnati Bengals sign OT Matthew O'Donnell". ESPN. February 2, 2015.
  10. "Matt O'Donnell Returns to the Green and Gold". Edmonton Eskimos. 2015-09-09. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  11. "Matt O'Donnell returns to the Elks". GoElks.com. June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  12. "Elks' OL Matt O'Donnell announces retirement". Canadian Football League. February 3, 2022.
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