A pair of W.J. Mouat grads have been drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Former Hawks football standouts Maleek Irons and Sheriden Lawley were both selected by the Ontario club at the Canadian Football League draft on Thursday.
Irons was taken 22nd overall, while Lawley was chosen with the 24th pick.
2️⃣2️⃣ – Welcome to #TigerTown, Maleek Irons (RB)!@ohiou ➡️ #Ticats | #CFLDraft pic.twitter.com/oxZRuoawIT
— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 3, 2019
Irons, a 2014 Mouat grad, is coming off an impressive 2018 season with the NCAA’s Ohio University Bobcats. He scored eight touchdowns and 831 yards rushing at the Athens, Ohio based school. The Bobcats finished last season with a record of 9-4, and won the DXL Frisco Bowl with a 27-0 win over San Diego State on Dec. 19.
For his career at Ohio, Irons saw action in 29 games and amassed 1,447 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns on 252 attempts.
He was dominant during his high school career, and left Mouat as B.C.’s all-time leading high school rusher with 6,175 yards and 76 touchdowns. He also established a single-season record in 2012 with 3,204 yards rushing. He earned Provincial Most Valuable Player honours following the 2012 and 2013 campaigns.
But his journey didn’t come without some controversy, as back on Jan. 15, 2017, Irons was arrested and charged with resisting arrest, obstructing official business and driving under the influence after the Athens Police Department found him driving his car into other vehicles.
Irons lost one year of his eligibility due to the incident, and could only play football with the Bobcats practice squad.
He told The Athens Post back in October that it was the lowest point in his life, but that he has matured and grown in the time following.
2️⃣4️⃣ – Welcome to #TigerTown, Sheriden Lawley (DL)!@ubctbirds ➡️ #Ticats | #CFLDraft pic.twitter.com/nRV0Pk4sgU
— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) May 3, 2019
Lawley, a 2013 grad, wrapped up his college career in the fall with the UBC Thunderbirds, but his journey to Hamilton was a unique one.
After graduation the lineman committed to play for the McMaster Marauders, but couldn’t give up on his dream to play NCAA Division 1 football.
He played one year at the prestigious Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, with the hopes of attracting Div. 1 interest. That school’s alumni include former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, pioneering pollster George Gallup, NBA player Joakim Noah, and a host of politicians.
Lawrenceville’s annual tuition is in the $55,000 range, but Lawley was fortunate enough to land a scholarship.
Lawley turned in a terrific season at Lawrenceville, earning all-conference honours on both the offensive and defensive lines. He was also an all-state honourable mention on defence.
That drew interest from recruiters, and Lawley ended up committing to the University of Connecticut Huskies.
He spent three seasons with the Huskies, before wrapping up his college career with UBC this fall.
Hamilton is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which it went 8-10 overall, placed second in the CFL East Division and clinched a playoff berth. The Tiger-Cats rolled to a 48-8 win over the BC Lions in the Division Semi-Finals before falling to the Ottawa Redblacks, 46-27, in the Division Finals.
The Tiger-Cats will open up the regular season on June 13 with a home game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.