Chris Schleuger

Chris Schleuger

No. 57     BC Lions
Schleuger with the Alouettes in 2022
Born:	(1995-05-12) May 12, 1995 (age 29) Wesley, Iowa, U.S.
Career information
Status	Active
CFL status	American
Position(s)	Offensive lineman
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	305 lb (138 kg)
College	Alabama-Birmingham Northern Iowa Iowa Western CC
High school	West Hancock High
Career history
As player
2018	Pittsburgh Steelers*
2018	Saskatchewan Roughriders*
2019	Birmingham Iron
2019–2022	Montreal Alouettes
2023–present	BC Lions
*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career stats
Playing stats at CFL.ca

Chris Schleuger (born May 12, 1995) is an American professional football offensive lineman for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Schleuger played college football for Iowa Western, Northern Iowa and Alabama-Birmingham. In professional leagues, Schleuger was previously a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Birmingham Iron and Montreal Alouettes.

Early life

Schleuger was born on May 12, 1995 in the rural farming community of Wesley, Iowa as one of two sons. He attended West Hancock High School in Britt, Iowa where he played kicker, fullback and defensive end positions as a member of the West Hancock Eagles football team. In his freshman season, Schleuger earned his first letter. After playing his first season as a kicker, the 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 245 pounds (111 kg) Schleuger transitioned into fullback and running back positions, earning First team All-District Fullback and Iowa Newspaper Association Third Team All-State Running back honors. Schleuger's performance during his senior season was rewarded with Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) First and Second Team honors. ^[1] Despite his athletic performances including making 76 touchdowns and totaling 5,452 yards – a record ranked 15th best in state history – and receiving numerous state and district honors Schleuger was not a ranked recruiting prospect. After graduating high school in 2013, Schleuger would go on instead to play junior college football. ^[2]

College career

Schleuger first played college football for the Iowa Western Community College Reivers in 2014. ^[3] He then transferred to the University of Northern Iowa to play for the Panthers in 2015, where he played in all 14 games, starting in eight at left tackle. ^{[3] [4]} Schleuger transferred again to the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he played for the UAB Blazers, playing in 13 games in 2017, starting in 12 at left guard. ^{[3] [4]} While at Northern Iowa, Schleuger was also a member of the Panthers wrestling team and was a 5th place All-American. ^[5] After his transfer to Alabama-Birmingham to play his senior season of college football, Schleuger majored in Communication studies. ^[6]

Professional career

Pittsburgh Steelers

After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL draft, Schleuger signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent. ^[4] He attended training camp with the team, but was part of the final cuts on September 1, 2018. ^[7]

Saskatchewan Roughriders

On September 26, 2018, Schleuger signed a practice roster agreement with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. ^[8] However, he did not dress in a game and became a free agent at the end of the season. ^{[4] [9]}

Birmingham Iron

In November 2018, Schleuger signed with the Birmingham Iron. ^[10] He was eventually released by the team before the league folded. ^[11]

Montreal Alouettes

Schleuger signed with the Montreal Alouettes on May 19, 2019. ^[12] He played and started in 13 regular season games in 2019 and also started in the East Semi-Final loss to the Edmonton Eskimos that year. ^{[4] [12]} He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season.

In 2021, Schleuger played in three games, starting in two. ^[12] He signed a contract extension with the Alouettes on February 7, 2022, and played in six games in 2022, starting in three. ^{[12] [13]} He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 14, 2023. ^[14]

BC Lions

On the first day of free agency, on February 14, 2023, Schleuger signed with the BC Lions, to a two-year contract. ^{[15] [16]} He spent most of the 2023 season as a healthy scratch, but started in one game at left tackle in August. ^{[4] [17]}

Personal life

Schleuger was born to parents Matt and Kathy Schleuger and has one brother. ^[3]

References

1. "NCSA College Recruiting" Profile. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
2. Zurkowsky, Herb (October 11, 2019). "Inside the CFL: Chris Schleuger is Alouettes’ giant diamond in rough". Montreal Gazette.com. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
3. "Chris Schleuger". UAB Blazers . Retrieved February 24, 2024.
4. "Chris Schleuger". BC Lions . Retrieved February 24, 2024.
5. "Northern Iowa Panthers" Profile. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
6. "UAB Blazers" Profile. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
7. "Steelers reduce roster to 53". Pittsburgh Steelers. September 1, 2018.
8. "Notebook: Naaman Roosevelt will miss Sunday's game". Saskatchewan Roughriders. September 26, 2018.
9. "Transactions – Football player trades and signings". Canadian Football League . Retrieved October 2, 2022.
10. "Birmingham Iron adds players from Alabama, UAB, South Alabama". al.com. November 9, 2018.
11. "Inside the CFL: Chris Schleuger is Alouettes' giant diamond in rough". Montreal Gazette. October 11, 2019.
12. "2023 CFL Guide" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 8, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
13. "They extend their stays in Montreal". Montreal Alouettes. February 7, 2022.
14. "Transactions – Football player trades and signings". Canadian Football League . Retrieved February 24, 2024.
15. "Lions Sign American OL Chris Schleuger". BC Lions. February 14, 2023.
16. "B.C. Lions sign offensive tackle Chris Schleuger". 3DownNation. February 14, 2023.
17. "Game Notes" (PDF). Canadian Football League . Retrieved February 2, 2024.

External links

• BC Lions bio
• UAB Blazers bio