3DownNation top 100 CFL players: No. 48 REC DeVier Posey, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

When it comes to the NCAA, one can do a lot worse than playing at Ohio State.

DeVier Posey was recruited to the Buckeyes out of La Salle High School, a prep school in Cincinnati that has developed a number of future college stars and NFL players.

The native of San Mateo, Calif. appeared in 42 games (2008-2011), making 136 receptions for 1,955 yards and 18 touchdowns. He appeared in just four games as a senior, though his absence wasn’t due to injury.

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

Posey was accused of selling game-worn memorabilia in December 2010, which got him in some hot water. Due to the NCAA’s antiquated rules that prevent players from drawing income from participation in sports, he was suspended for the start of the 2011 season alongside a handful of teammates, including quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

The six-foot-two, 210-pound receiver performed extremely well at the 2012 NFL Combine, recording a 4.39-second forty-yard dash and a 36.5-inch vertical. He was selected in the third round of the NFL draft by the Houston Texans, joining a team that was on the rise.

Posey appeared in 26 regular season games with the Houston Texans (2012-2014), making one start and recording 22 receptions for 272 yards. His best game came in the divisional round of the 2012 AFC playoffs when he made three receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown in a 41-28 loss to the New England Patriots.

Unfortunately it was in this same game that Posey suffered a torn Achilles. He returned from the injury in just six months when recovery normally requires a full year of rehabilitation.

Posey was traded to the New York Jets in 2015 but was released at the end of training camp. He signed with the Denver Broncos in January 2016 and was cut in August, failing to make the 53-man roster.

It was then that the receiver decided to head north, signing with the Toronto Argonauts. He appeared in four games despite joining the team midway through the season, making 13 receptions for 161 yards.

Posey made one of the most iconic plays in Grey Cup history the following season when he hauled in a 100-yard touchdown catch from Ricky Ray. He was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, recording seven receptions for 175 yards and the score in a 27-24 upset victory for Toronto over Calgary.

https://twitter.com/11W/status/934944529567936512

The performance earned Posey an invitation to training camp with the Baltimore Ravens in 2018, though he was eventually released. He joined the B.C. Lions for the latter half of the season before signing a big-money free agent contract with the Montreal Alouettes in February 2019.

Posey has yet to play more than 12 games in a single CFL season due to his stints in the NFL and a calf injury he suffered as a member of the Als. Despite the absences, he’s still managed to catch 144 passes for 2,080 yards and 13 touchdowns, making him one of the league’s best deep threats.

Hamilton lucked out this past February when Posey remained unsigned on the second day of free agency. Posey was signed to a team-friendly, one-year contract, but we now know the season was unable to go ahead due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posey, 30, is slated to become a free agent in February 2021.

3DownNation is unveiling its list of the top 100 active CFL players, a project that will run through December 31, 2020. To read the criteria for player eligibility, click here. The list to date can be found below.

49. DL Cleyon Laing, Ottawa Redblacks
50. OL Matt O’Donnell, Edmonton Football Team
51. REC Kyran Moore, Saskatchewan Roughriders
52. SAM Kenny Ladler, Free Agent
53. DE Jackson Jeffcoat, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
54. SAM Dexter McCoil, Free Agent
55. OL Sean McEwen, Calgary Stampeders
56. REC Eugene Lewis, Montreal Alouettes
57. DB Greg Reid, Montreal Alouettes
58. DL Mike Moore, Edmonton Football Team
59. OL Ryker Mathews, B.C. Lions
60. DB Tunde Adeleke, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
61. LB Jameer Thurman, Free Agent
62. QB Matt Nichols, Toronto Argonauts
63. DB Jamar Wall, Calgary Stampeders
64. DB Loucheiz Purifoy, Saskatchewan Roughriders
65. REC Lemar Durant, B.C. Lions
66. OL Brendon LaBatte, Saskatchewan Roughriders
67. OL SirVincent Rogers, Edmonton Football Team
68. QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Free Agent
69. DB/RET Frankie Williams, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
70. DB T.J. Lee, B.C. Lions
71. QB Zach Collaros, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
72. SAM Anthony Cioffi, Free Agent
73. DB Shaquille Richardson, Toronto Argonauts
74. REC Kamar Jorden, Calgary Stampeders
75. OL Darius Ciraco, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
76. REC Jalen Saunders, Free Agent
77. QB Dane Evans, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
78. REC Brad Sinopoli, Ottawa Redblacks
79. RET Janarion Grant, Free Agent
80. DE Avery Ellis, Ottawa Redblacks
81. DE Cordarro Law, Calgary Stampeders
82. DB Brandon Alexander, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
83. OL Jermarcus Hardrick, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
84. DB Branden Dozier, Free Agent
85. SAM Otha Foster, Saskatchewan Roughriders
86. DB Antoine Pruneau, Ottawa Redblacks
87. RB John White, B.C. Lions
88. LB Avery Williams, Ottawa Redblacks
89. LB Jovan Santos-Knox, Free Agent
90. DB Richard Leonard, Calgary Stampeders
91. REC Armanti Edwards, Edmonton Football Team
92. RB C.J. Gable, Free Agent
93. DT Mike Rose, Calgary Stampeders
94. REC S.J. Green, Free Agent
95. DB Mike Edem, Saskatchewan Roughriders
96. DE John Bowman, Montreal Alouettes
97. DB Taylor Loffler, Montreal Alouettes
98. QB Nick Arbuckle, Ottawa Redblacks
99. ST Mike Miller, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
100. DE Chris Casher, B.C. Lions