Hitting the trifecta: French-born American CFL kicker Boris Bede officially becomes Canadian citizen

Longtime CFL kicker Boris Bede has always boasted a field goal’s worth of national affiliations, but he recently made the most important one official.

On Friday, the 35-year-old took to X to reveal that he had officially become a citizen of the country he has resided in since 2011: Canada.

“Today, after 13 years of calling this place home, I became a Canadian citizen. This journey has shaped me in more ways than I can count — and now, it’s official.”

Bede originally hails from Toulon, France, but attended high school in Framingham, Mass. after moving to the United States to advance his athletic career. He spent three seasons at Tiffin University in Ohio before transferring to Université Laval in 2011. Over four seasons with the Rouge et Or, he was named an RSEQ all-star three times and helped the team win two Vanier Cups.

While foreign-born players who graduate from U Sports programs after at least three years of service now count as Nationals under CFL roster rules, they didn’t when Bede first entered the professional ranks in 2015. His arrival also pre-dated the invention of the Global program, which means that he has been designated as an American for the entirety of his nine seasons in the league — arguably the description that least fits his background.

Bede has made 274 of 330 field goal attempts (83.0 percent), 273 converts, and punted 649 times for an average of 44.5 yards over 144 career games with the Montreal Alouettes, Toronto Argonauts, and Edmonton Elks. He is a three-time All-East Division selection and won a Grey Cup with Toronto in 2022.

The six-foot-four, 225-pound specialist has been a free agent since January, when the Elks released him ahead of a $28,000 offseason roster bonus. If he does land another contract in the league, Bede’s status will not change despite his new passport, as CFL players are stuck with the same designation with which they entered as rookies.