TORONTO, ON - The Gryphons football program was represented on a pair of occasions on Sunday evening (May 7) as the 2017 CFL (Canadian Football League) Draft was held in Toronto. Receiver Jacob Scarfone was selected by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats while defensive lineman Ian Marouf was drafted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Both had their names called during the 6th round and were picked 47th and 50th overall, respectively.

Despite the fact that Jacob Scarfone missed the entire 2016 season due to injury, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats had seen enough from his his sensational 2015 campaign to use their fifth pick of the draft on the play-making receiver. Scarfone, a fourth year Management Economics and Finance major, put together one of the greatest single-season receiving performances in school history in 2015.

 

The London, Ontario native set a U of G single-season record with 940 receiving yards in 2015, surpassing Jeff Keegan's mark of 936 receiving yards which was set back in 2005. The 6'1, 188lbs wide receiver also hauled in 10 touchdown receptions during 2015, ranking him second in school history behind only Parri Ceci's 11 TD catches in 1984. Scarfone's 57 receptions during 2015 also rank him second on U of G's all-time list behind only Frank Marouf who holds the single-season record with 60 catches back in 1991. Scarfone, who was part of the Gryphons Yates Cup championship team in 2015, was also named a 2nd Team All-Canadian that same year.























However, after suffering an injury during a team practice in the Spring of 2016, Scarfone was forced to miss the entire 2016 season. The 2015 OUA First Team All-Star will now prepare to attend the Tiger-Cats training camp at the end of May but would be eligible to play a fifth and final season with the Gryphons should the Ticats opt not to keep him on their regular season roster.

Like Scarfone, Ian Marouf also had his named called on Draft night despite not having suited up in the 2016 OUA/U SPORTS football season. In fact, Marouf only played one season at the University of Guelph, suiting up for the Gryphons back in 2013 where he quickly established himself as a dominant force on the interior of the Gryphons defensive line.

 

Marouf was part of an impressive defensive front for the Gryphons in 2013 that featured current CFL'ers Cam Walker, Curtis Newton and Jeff Finley. Despite being in just his freshmen season, Marouf led the team with 6.5 sacks and finished third on the team with 31 tackles. That sort of production certainly caught the eye of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers brass, which is led by a pair of Gryphon alum in G.M. Kyle Walters and head coach Mike O'Shea.


























The 6'2" 265lbs Marouf, who has spent the past few seasons playing in the Canadian Junior Football League with the Hamilton Hurricanes, is described by Gryphons coaches as an individual with outstanding athletic ability. Marouf will head to Manitoba in late May to take part in Bombers training camp in Winnipeg.

For more information on Sunday's CFL Draft, visit www.usports.ca
 

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