Redblacks’ rookie Alonzo Addae draws first career start at safety

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

The future is now in Ottawa, as the Redblacks have named rookie Alonzo Addae as the team’s starting safety for their Week 2 matchup with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The 24-year-old was selected in the second round, 13th overall, by the Redblacks in the 2021 CFL Draft. Widely regarded as one of the best safety prospects in recent memory, Addae was coming off a standout 2020 season with West Virginia University, where he recorded 66 total tackles, two interceptions, five pass deflections, and a forced fumble in 10 starts for the Mountaineers.

After returning to school for the 2021 college football season, the five-foot-10, 190-pounder racked up 73 total tackles, four-and-a-half tackles for loss, three pass deflections, one sack and one fumble recovery in 12 starts, but failed to gain serious NFL attention.

Addae finished his collegiate career by being named honourable mention All-Big 12 in 2021 and All-Big 12 second team in 2020 after transferring to West Virginia from the University of New Hampshire.

The Pickering, Ontario native signed with the Redblacks part-way through training camp and notched an interception in his only preseason action. He was third on the Redblacks’ depth chart for the season-opener but has leap-frogged veteran Antoine Pruneau in order to take over the starting role from Justin Howell, who was moved to the six-game injured list on Monday.