Ajou Ajou

Last updated

Ajou Ajou
No. 80     Saskatchewan Roughriders
Born: (2002-01-10) January 10, 2002 (age 22)
Brooks, Alberta, Canada
Career information
StatusActive
CFL status National
Position(s) Wide receiver
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight211 lb (96 kg)
College Clemson (2020–2021)
USF (2022)
Garden City (2023)
High school Clearwater Academy International
CFL draft 2024, Round: 7, Pick: 59
Drafted by Saskatchewan Roughriders
Career history
As player
2024–present Saskatchewan Roughriders
Career stats

Ajou Ajou (born January 10, 2002) is a Canadian professional football wide receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Contents

College career

Ajou first played college football with the Clemson Tigers from 2020 to 2021, becoming the first Canadian to play for the team. [1] [2] He played in 22 games where he had eight catches for 114 yards and one touchdown. [2] While wanting more playing time, Ajou transferred to the University of South Florida in 2022 to play for the Bulls. [3] However, after recording two receptions for nine yards in the first game of the season, he suffered a sports hernia and sat out the rest of the season. [3] After returning to health in 2023, he was denied a spot on the team, so he transferred to Garden City Community College to play for the Broncbusters. [3] He then played in seven games where he had 17 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns. [2] [3] Following the 2023 season, he declared for the CFL draft and NFL draft. [3]

Professional career

Ajou was drafted in the seventh round, 59th overall, in the 2024 CFL Draft by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and signed with the team on May 6, 2024. [4] Following training camp in 2024, he began the season on the team's injured list. [5] However, he soon after made his professional debut in week 2 on June 16, 2024, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats where he had five receptions for 41 yards. [5] In the team's next game, also against the Tiger-Cats, on June 23, 2024, Ajou scored his first career touchdown on a 40-yard pass from Trevor Harris. [6] He became the first seventh-round draft pick to score a touchdown in franchise history. [6]

Ajou recorded his first 100-yard game on July 19, 2024, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, when he recorded four catches for 110 yards, all in the second half, in a relief performance for the injured Kian Schaffer-Baker. [7]

Personal life

Ajou was raised in Brooks, Alberta by his mother who immigrated from South Sudan. [3]

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References

  1. ↑ "Ajou Ajou". Clemson Tigers . Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Ajou Ajou". Saskatchewan Roughriders . Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "2024 CFL Draft profiles: former Clemson REC Ajou Ajou not thrilled by fall from grace". 3DownNation. March 24, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Riders sign seven of their 2024 CFL Draft selections". Canadian Football League. July 19, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Game notes" (PDF). Canadian Football League . Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Rider review: TD, TD for Ajou Ajou over two home games". Saskatchewan Roughriders. June 24, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Roughriders improve to 5-1 with 19-9 win over Winnipeg". Saskatchewan Roughriders. July 19, 2024.
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