Darrell Davis: CFL draft is low-key but vital

Ray Elgaard, one of the best football players Canada has ever produced, once previewed a CFL draft by telling a reporter: “Well, some Canadian kid’s dream is going to come true today.”

Elgaard was being sarcastic. The CFL draft wasn’t much of an event in those days, when it was held in theatres that were mainly empty except for a handful of prospects, their parents and a few newspaper reporters. When the Calgary Stampeders drafted some guy named Dave Sapunjis, most of those present said, “Who is that?”

Today’s CFL draft has a marginally higher profile. The opening rounds will be shown on TSN. Social media and the Internet will immediately list and analyze every pick. Most of the names will be unfamiliar to less-than-hardcore CFL fans. Lots of the picks will be offensive linemen. Some of them might become stars.

But despite the draft’s low profile, never underestimate the importance of drafting a player like Sapunjis. Or Elgaard.