The Calgary Stampeders have signed four American players, including running back Tiyon Evans, linebacker Trey Kiser, and defensive backs Ben DeLuca and Shon Stephens.
Evans signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2023 but didn’t make the team’s final roster after training camp. In 2024, he played four games with the Houston Roughnecks of the UFL where he rushed five times for five yards and caught two passes for 32 yards.
The five-foot-eleven, 210-pound native of Hartsville, S.C. finished his collegiate career at the University of Louisville where he rushed 83 times for 525 yards and six touchdowns and caught six passes for 13 yards. He previously played at the University of Tennessee and Hutchinson Community College.
Kiser had stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants last year but didn’t see any regular-season action with either team.
The six-foot, 224-pound native of Norman, Okla. played three collegiate seasons at the University of South Alabama where he made 178 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and three pass knockdowns. He was named an All-Sun Belt Conference honourable mention in 2023. He previously played at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College.
DeLuca played three regular-season games with the Los Angeles Chargers after going unselected in the 2021 NFL Draft but didn’t register any statistics. He has since played nine games with the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks, recording 29 total tackles.
The six-foot-one, 202-pound native of DeLand, Fla. played collegiately at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he became the program’s all-time leader in tackles (313), forced fumbles (nine), fumble recoveries (six), and pass knockdowns (19).
Stephens attended training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 but was cut before the regular season got underway.
The five-foot-ten, 175-pound native of Bakersfield, Calif. finished his collegiate career at Ferris State University where he made 25 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, eight interceptions, and one kickoff return touchdown, earning a first-team All-Conference selection. He previously played at West Liberty State and Bakersfield Junior College.
The Calgary Stampeders finished fifth in the West Division in 2024 with a record of 5-12-1, missing the postseason for the first time since 2004. The team will open its 2025 regular season by hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at McMahon Stadium on Saturday, June 7 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.
