June 28, 2012
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By Mike Garabedian
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Four former UCF football players will be taking the field this weekend, as the Canadian Football League is set to kick off its 2012 season on Friday, June 29.
The season opens Friday at 7 p.m. when former UCF defensive tackle Keith Shologan's Saskatchewan Roughriders travel to Ontario to take on the eight-time Grey Cup champion Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The following night, former UCF cornerback Joe Burnett and defensive lineman Rashad Jeanty, both of the Edmonton Eskimos, play host to Cedric Gagne-Marcoux and the Toronto Argonauts.
Shologan will be entering his fifth season with Saskatchewan, after being drafted by the Roughriders in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2008 CFL Draft. The 2010 Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian started all 18 games last season, finishing with 26 tackles, two sacks and two tackles for a loss. The Alberta native was a four-year starter on the defensive line at UCF, recording 33 tackles and 2.5 sacks as a senior.
Signed as a free agent on Oct. 7, 2011, Burnett will make his CFL debut Saturday at 7 p.m. The former All-American was a fifth-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 NFL Draft. The Florida native still holds several UCF records, including punt returns (96) and interception return yards (262), while sharing the mark for punt return touchdowns (3).
Jeanty joins Burnett for his second stint with Edmonton after playing three seasons from 2003-05. The former Knight spent four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, serving as the starting SLB from 2006-09. Jeanty had his best season as a pro in 2008, racking up 97 tackles with 15 special-team tackles. During Jeanty's two seasons at UCF (2001-02), he logged 9.5 sacks and 137 tackles in only 22 games.
A six-year veteran entering his third season in Toronto, Gagne-Marcoux has made 32 starts over the past two seasons. The Canadian native was named CFLPA All-Star at offensive guard in 2010, serving as the left guard for the Argonauts. The 6-foot-3, 297-pounder started 39 of 44 games at center for UCF from 2003-06. As a junior, he was named First Team All-Conference USA and helped the Knights capture a C-USA East Division Championship.