Laurier’s Chambers taken 6th overall in CFL draft

Golden Hawks men’s football star Shamawd Chambers has a new home out west.

In Thursday’s Canadian Football League (CFL) draft, the Edmonton Eskimos chose the wide receiver, sixth overall, to join their program, with general manager Eric Tillman who described Chambers as, “tremendous upside, [and] excellent speed.”

Chambers, standing at six-foot-three, 210 pounds, has been named an Ontario University Athletics Second Team All-Star in consecutive years, recording 562 yards, 80.3 yards-per-game and five touchdowns in seven games with Laurier in 2011. He also registered the top 40-yard dash time at the CFL scouting combine, posting a time of 4.42.

Chambers will join Austin Pasztor from Virginia State in Edmonton, who was chosen fourth overall in the draft.

Chambers was originally ranked third overall, being drafted three spots later. Offensive lineman Ben Heenan was chosen first overall by the Saskatchewn Roughriders, with Jabar Westerman picked second by the B.C Lions, who traded their pick with the Eskimos.

Chambers is the first Golden Hawk to be selected in the first round since 2007, when the Calgary Stampeders took Justin Phillips fifth overall.

In addition to his selection, Chambers will also attend a mini tryout camp for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles next week for an invitation to their main camp.

Former Hawk Courtney Stephen was taken two picks after Chambers when the Hamilton Tiger Cats him eighth overall.

Stephen played two seasons at WLU, with his breakout year coming in 2009 when he was named a First-Team OUA All-Star and Second-Team All-Canadian. Following that 2009 season, Stephen transferred to the University of Northern Illinois.