WOLFVILLE, N.S. - Two Acadia Football Axemen were picked in the CFL draft this past Thursday evening. The annual event includes the best of U SPORTS and NCAA football Canadian athletes and this year's draft was no exception.
At night's end, 57 of the 73 chosen Canadian football players were from U SPORTS and Acadia's Bailey Feltmate was chosen 17th overall in the second round by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Tiger-Cats were first to choose a U SPORTS player and Feltmate was Hamilton's second pick of the night.
A fourth-year kinesiology student from Moncton, N.B., Feltmate finished second in the conference in solo tackles (45), total tackles (58.5) and tackles per game (7.4). He tied for third in the conference in assisted tackles with 27. He was named the AUS Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in his four years with the Axemen.
Throughout his four-year AUS career and 31 games played, Feltmate has amassed 203 career total tackles (152 solo and 102 assisted), placing him fifth in the AUS record book, and second in Acadia school history.
In addition to being named the AUS outstanding defensive player of the year, he has also named a conference all-star for the third consecutive season today. Feltmate was also named a U SPORTS second team all-Canadian in 2017 and 2019.
Senior wide receiver Cordell Hastings was chosen by the BC Lions in the fifth round, 43rd overall in last night's draft.
Hastings is a fast receiver who can stretch the field from the wideout spot and was likely the fastest receiver in this draft. This season Hastings finished third in the AUS conference yards per game receiving with 81.8 and had the best yards per catch in the AUS with 18.2.
"I am really happy for Bailey and Cordell getting drafted by Hamilton and BC respectively. They have worked very hard to be in this position and I expect they will step into camp and compete. Bailey will likely jump right into a special teams role before finding his niche on defense," noted Axemen head coach Jeff Cummins.
"Cordell is athletic and extremely competitive so I know he will find a way to succeed and he will have to show people that he can do more than just run by you as he adjusts to the more physical style of CFL defensive back play," added Cummins.
"Both players are great representatives of our overall Axemen program and will continue their success through this next challenge. Anytime an Axeman gets a chance to play at the next level it is a great day for Acadia Football."
Six Axemen were not chosen in the draft. The Axemen's Most Valuable Player Dale Wright, AUS MVP Hunter Guenard, All-Star linemen Oliver Grant (also AUS Lineman of the Year), and Angelo Gentile along with defensive backs Rory Kelly and Jayden White-Frayne were all draft-eligible.
"I expect we may have another guy or two sign free agent contracts which will only speak to the caliber of players here at Acadia," concluded Cummins.