After releasing Kylin Hill the Redblacks were left with just two true running backs on their roster including the practice squad. They have been very creative in their use of Bralon Addison, Justin Hardy, and Devonte Dedmon in the run game, but it still seemed odd they didn’t at least have a third back on the  practice roster. That has now changed with Ottawa signing former Denver Bronco, and Calgary Stampeder LeVante Bellamy. 

From the Broncos…to the Broncos? 

Bellamy made his name known as a member of the Western Michigan Broncos. Originally joining the school in 2015, the 5’9 190 pound back found his way onto the field immediately with WMU. His first season he saw 85 touches for 650 yards and 2 touchdowns. The next two seasons he fought through some injuries that limited him to just 9 appearances. 

In those 9 games he still did damage with 69 carries for 527 yards 4 touchdowns and added 8 receptions for 58 yards, and 1 kick return for 18 yards. It was after this rough patch that Bellamy exploded for WMU’s offense. Over the next two seasons he took hold of the top running back role and didn’t let go. 

After just 1,177 yards his first 22 games he had a monster season in 2018 setting career highs in nearly every category. He would tote the rock 205 times for 1,228 yards rushing and 6 touchdowns. He averaged 6 yards per carry. He also managed a career high in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, as well as kick returns and yards with 30 for 185 yards and 1 touchdown, as well as 14 returns for 255 yards. 

His final season with WMU he managed to smash many records for the Broncos running 266 times for 1,472 yards and 23 touchdowns. He saw a drop in receptions catching 15 passes for 55 yards and was not used on kick returns. Coming out in the 2020 draft class really hindered his ability to get any sort of momentum before draft day coming out of a school that is on the NFL radar but a blip compared to nearby Michigan or Michigan State. 

At the combine he put up respectable numbers with a 4.5 40-yard dash, 1.53 10-yard split, 39.5 inch vertical, 10’ 5” broad jump, and 16 reps on the bench press. His top end speed and impressive burst are what made him so dangerous at the college level. To utilize his speed he was used in the outside running game quite often, as well as in the screen game, it’s a big reason why they also used him as a return man. Giving him the ball in space is the way to find success. This led to attention from the Denver Broncos in 2020. 

Denver Zone Running Scheme Suits Bellamy

Under Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur the Broncos leaned on the stretch run game which made Bellamy an intriguing fit in their offense. He would stick on the practice squad for the better part of the next two seasons learning from one of the most decorated running backs coaches in the game Curtis Modkins who has spent the last 20+ years coaching running backs or coordinating offenses at the D1 or NFL level. 

In 2020 the Broncos called Bellamy up for several games and he would even see 5 offensive touches for 16 yards in back to back losses to close out the season. He also logged two tackles playing on 56% of special teams snaps. He did however get called for 2 penalties and missed 2 tackles. 

Looking to build on his time with Denver in 2020, Bellamy returned in 2021 but played in just one preseason game. He saw 4 carries for 2 yards. He played just 14 total snaps with 9 on offense and 5 on special teams. He graded out decently on offense with a 63.3 overall, with his best grade coming in pass blocking at 65.8. He also seemed to fair about as well on special teams. After this one game he was placed on injured reserve where he stayed until being waived in December. 

Year Off 

As with many players it appeared from the outside there was a hesitation to look at alternative routes even with the inaugural USFL draft in 2022. In 2023 he would end up signing with the Calgary Stampeders even with another spring league beginning in the U.S. that season.  

As is normally the case with American players signing with the CFL for the first time, Bellamy was initially released only to be brought back on the practice roster later that year. He bounced on and off the practice squad and active roster seeing a total of 12 transactions in 2023. He appeared in 7 games collecting 23 carries, 5 receptions on 7 targets, and 4 kick returns. He compiled 187 total yards but has yet to score a touchdown in the CFL. 

He returned in 2024, and managed to stick until early June when he was released. He had not seen the field yet in 2024. Having now spent over a year acclimating to the CFL with some in game experience to boot, Ottawa brings him in hoping he can be valuable depth this season. His ability to return kicks is also a trait they could eventually utilize with Brandin Dandridge still hurt, and Dedmon being used in multiple ways. 

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