Former Illinois State quarterback Tre Roberson, shown here in the 2015 FCS national championship game, is a veteran defensive back in the Canadian Football League. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
Three former Illinois State standouts can be found on the playing fields of the Canadian Football League this summer.
Tre Roberson, Deandre Lamont and Romeo McKnight all made opening-day CFL rosters. The 66-year-old league began its season this past weekend.
Roberson, who helped spark ISU into the 2015 FCS national championship game, enters his sixth season north of the border. The former collegiate quarterback plays defensive back for the Calgary Stampeders.
The Indianapolis native, who began his college career at Indiana University, has made 57 starts in his CFL career.
Roberson has also spent time in NFL training camps, most recently with the Chicago Bears in 2021.
Roberson is the grandson of Canadian Football Hall of Fame member Larry Highbaugh, who played 13 seasons in the CFL.
Lamont plays for the Ottawa Redblacks, which opens their season Thursday hosting Winnipeg.
The 25-year-old defensive back played the 2022 season at Illinois State after transferring from Central Arkansas. Lamont was an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honorable mention selection as well as a member of the MVFC All-Newcomer Team that fall.
Lamont played in 11 CFL games, starting nine, for the Redblacks in 2023. The Texas native recorded 25 tackles on defense, one special teams stop and grabbed two interceptions.
Defensive lineman Romeo McKnight returns for his second CFL season. The Crystal Lake Central High School product joins the Edmonton Elks after playing for Calgary a year ago.
McKnight, who played at the University of Iowa out of high school, transferred to Illinois State. McKnight spent the 2018 and ’19 seasons as a Redbird before transferring to FBS Charlotte for his final collegiate season.
McKnight was named an All-Conference USA honorable mention in 2020.
At Illinois State, he was an All-MVFC first team pick after leading the Redbirds in both sacks (12) and tackles for loss (16.5) in 2019.
Elsewhere around the league
Former Eastern Illinois wide receiver Alexander Hollins returns for his third season with the BC Lions.
Hollins, who inked a two-year extension in January, led the Lions with nine touchdown receptions in 2023. His 1,173 receiving yards ranked second on the Lions while his 78 catches tied him for the team lead. Hollins earned a CFL West Division All-Star selection.
Hollins transferred to EIU from Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College in 2017. In his two seasons with the Panthers, Hollins caught 126 passes for 1,784 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Hollins landed on numerous All-American teams and finished 21st in voting for the Walter Payton Award in 2018.
Hollins had eight receptions for 90 yards in BC’s season opener Sunday.
Wide receiver Jaelon Acklin, a former Western Illinois standout, joins Lamont on the Ottawa roster.
Acklin played 44 games over four seasons (2014-17) at WIU. The Missouri native reeled in 105 catches for 1,733 yards and 12 touchdown during his time in Macomb.
Acklin begins in second season with Redblacks after two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
A CFL East Division All-Star in 2021, Acklin has 250 career receptions entering this season. He has also spent time returning kickoffs.
Clint Ratkovich, Acklin’s former WIU teammate, is a rookie with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Ratkovich spent four seasons (2016-19) at Western Illinois before transferring to FBS Northern Illinois for his final collegiate season.
The Crete-Monee High School graduate suffered a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament in a private workout with the Green Bay Packers in April 2022.
Before being injured, he was a candidate to be selected in the NFL Draft. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons and placed on the practice squad in December 2022 and appeared in three NFL pre-season games with the Falcons in 2023.
Defensive back Darius Joiner, who played one season at WIU, is on the Toronto Argonauts roster.
Joiner, who also played at Jacksonville State and Duke, started 11 games at Western in 2021. His 142 tackles led the FCS in total tackles that season.
Joiner was also chosen as an FCS All-American and finished sixth in voting for the 2021 Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the top FCS defensive player of the year.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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