Global prospects Blessman Ta’ala and Max Parkinson notch 29 to top the bench press
EDMONTON (March 23, 2023) – Receiver Gabriel Appiah-Kubi from York University sped to a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash to lead all prospects on Day One of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Combine presented by New Era.
Global prospects Blessman Ta’ala from American Samoa and Great Britain’s Max Parkinson topped the field with 29 reps in the bench press. Bishop’s University’s Jake Kelly registered the day’s highest jump at 40.50 inches, while Jacob Taylor from the University of Alberta leaped 10 feet, 11 inches in the broad jump.
Siriman Bagayogo from the University of Guelph posted the fastest time in the 3-cone drill with a 6.87. Japanese running back Atsumu Endo’s 4.15 led all prospects in the short shuttle.
The CFL Combine gathers the top national and global prospects to showcase their skills for coaches, general managers and personnel representing the league’s nine member clubs. Prospects are looking to impress the league’s leadership ahead of the 2023 editions of the CFL Draft and CFL Global Draft on May 2.
COMPLETE RESULTS
CFL COMBINE LEADERBOARDS
* denotes a global prospect
Vertical jump
- 1. 40.50 – Jake Kelly | DB | Bishop’s | Markham, Ont.
- 2. 40.00 – Charlie Ringland | DB | Saskatchewan | Winnipeg
- T-3. 39.50 – James Basalyga | REC | Waterloo | Thunder Bay, Ont.
- T-3. 39.50 – Emmanuel Falola* | LB | Bristol Aztecs | Hackney, Great Britain
- 5. 39.00 – Clark Barnes | REC | Guelph | Brampton, Ont.
Bench press
- T-1. 29 – Blessman Ta’ala* | DL | Hawaii | Aūa, American Samoa
- T-1. 29 – Max Parkinson* | DL | West England | Croydon, Great Britain
- T-3. 26 – Hidetora Hanada* | DL | X-League | Wakayama, Japan
- T-3. 26 – Phillip Grohovac | OL | Western | Victoria, B.C.
- 5. 24 – Roman Wahrheit* | OL | Towson | Rhauderfehn, Germany
40-yard dash
- 1. 4.44 – Gabriel Appiah-Kubi | REC | York | Brampton, Ont.
- 2. 4.53 – Clark Barnes | REC | Guelph | Brampton, Ont.
- T3. 4.56 – James Basalyga | REC | Waterloo | Thunder Bay, Ont.
- T3. 4.56 – Jake Kelly | DB | Bishop’s | Markham, Ont.
- T3. 4.56 – Jacob Taylor | DB | Alberta | Beaumont, Alta.
Broad jump
- 1. 10’ 11” – Jacob Taylor | DB | Alberta | Beaumont, Alta.
- 2. 10’ 9 1/4” – Gabriel Appiah-Kubi | REC | York | Brampton, Ont.
- 3. 10’ 5 1/4” – Charlie Ringland | DB | Saskatchewan | Winnipeg
- 4. 10’ 4 3/8” – Clark Barnes | REC | Guelph | Brampton, Ont.
- 5. 10’ 2 1/2” – Sebastian Howard | TE | Saint Mary’s | Calgary
3-cone
- 1. 6.87 – Siriman Bagayogo | DB | Guelph | Bois-des-Filion, Que.
- 2. 6.91 – Jake Kelly | DB | Bishop’s | Markham, Ont.
- T3. 6.94 – Thomas Bertrand-Hudon | RB | Delaware State | Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.
- T3. 6.94 – Jaxon Ford | DB | Regina | Regina
- 5. 6.95 – Jacob Taylor | DB | Alberta | Beaumont, Alta.
Short shuttle
- 1. 4.15 – Atsumu Endo* | RB | Dentsu Caterpillars | Osaka, Japan
- 2. 4.16 – Thomas Bertrand-Hudon | RB | Delaware State | Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.
- 3. 4.18 – Charlie Ringland | DB | Saskatchewan | Winnipeg
- 4. 4.19 – Daniel Oladejo | REC | Ottawa | Ottawa
- T5. 4.20 – Gabriel Appiah-Kubi | REC | York | Brampton, Ont.
- T5. 4.20 – Jacob Biggs | DB | Calgary | Calgary
