WINNIPEG, MANTIOBA, CANADA – Former Elon University football standout linebacker Chad Nkang has taken his game North of the border where he will play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) after recently signing a contract. Nkang most recently played for the National Football League’s Jacksonville Jaguars for two seasons.

 

“I am excited to about the opportunity to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers,” said Nkang. “They have put together a great staff and acquired some really good players. I can’t wait to get to Winnipeg and start working with the team.”

 

Nkang joins a Winnipeg squad which went 7-11 in the CFL in 2009, finishing third in the East Division. The East Division also features the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts.

 

The Blue Bombers will be celebrating their 80th season of football in 2010. Winnipeg’s last Grey Cup title came in 1990 with a 50-11 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos.

 

During his rookie campaign in 2007, Nkang established a Jaguars’ single-season franchise record with 30 special teams tackles. He recorded at least one tackle in 13 of his 16 games. Nkang made a season-high six tackles in a 49-11 victory over the Oakland Raiders. That season, the Jaguars advanced to the AFC Divisional Playoffs. Nkang spent part of the 2008 season on injured reserve, but did appear in seven contests for Jacksonville. Nkang was a seventh round pick of the Jaguars in the 2007 NFL Draft, becoming the first Elon player selected in the draft since the move to NCAA Division I play.

 

At Elon, Nkang was selected as the Southern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year by the coaches and media in 2005 and by the media in 2006. An all-league pick from 2004-2006, Nkang earned seven SoCon Defensive Player of the Month honors. Nkang was twice named to All-America teams by The Associated Press, The Football Gazette and The Sports Network. He also earned one All-America honor from the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

 

A two-time finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision, Nkang amassed 414 career tackles in just three seasons on the defensive side of the ball. As a freshman, Nkang competed as a fullback for the Phoenix. In 2005 he tallied 152 total tackles, including 73 solo stops.