A&T's Francis Signs With Roughriders of the CFL

Francis was deemed an eligible national as he was originally born in Toronto before moving to New York.

SASKATCHEWAN, Canada – The Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League have signed former North Carolina A&T wide receiver Kevin Francis (6-foot-5, 210, Brooklyn, N.Y.), the club announced Saturday.

The Roughriders acquired Francis’ rights in the CFL Supplemental Draft by giving up a third-round CFL draft pick.

Francis came into the Aggies 2015 season expected to be a big part of the Aggies offense. He made two receptions in the Aggies opener against Shaw University before leaving the game with what was deemed a season-ending knee injury. Fortunately, the Aggies season was extended because they won a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and a bid to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl played on Dec. 19 against Alcorn State.

It allowed Francis an opportunity to play one more game. His 20-yard reception in the Celebration Bowl game set up an Aggies 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 41-34 victory.

“We had a chance to see Kevin at a workout recently, and I was really impressed with how he tested,” Roughriders general manager and head coach Chris Jones told CFL.ca. “He is a big kid that moves really well and has proven he is capable of excelling on special teams.”

Francis was also impressive on his North Carolina A&T Pro Day. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds, he had 10-foot, six-inch broad jump, a 37-inch vertical and he benched press 225 pounds 18 times. Francis was also a track and field standout at N.C. A&T, where he qualified for the 2015 NCAA East Preliminary Round in the 110-meter hurdles. He also participated in the decathlon.

In four seasons on the football field at N.C. A&T, Francis made 17 receptions for 163 yards. He was also an important part of the Aggies special teams throughout his career. He is the second N.C. A&T football player to sign a contract with a major professional football sports franchise this year after cornerback Tony McRae signed as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders of the NFL.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS