There were a lot of firsts for Bemidji State football this past season. We won our first road playoff game, hosted our first second round playoff game, and now have our first-ever student-athlete selected in the CFL Draft.
Last night, former Beaver receiver Dell Duncan-Busby was drafted 23rd overall in the third round by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League, trading in his green and white jersey for another.
6 feet 1 inch, 207 1 lbs. The wideout is a native of Canada, hailing from Brampton, Ontario, a suburb in the Greater Toronto Area. After immigrating to the United States, he didn't start playing soccer until his senior year of high school, but he learned what it takes to get to the next level at BSU.
“There were a lot of small details in terms of size and things like that,” Duncan-Busby said. “When I first got to Bemidji, I weighed 185. So I left at 210. So being able to put on that kind of weight was pretty beneficial. Obviously I got stronger and faster. But at the end of the day, I supported the system, I supported the culture that we were trying to put in place while I was there, and it worked to my advantage. It felt like.”
Duncan-Busby carried that development into the CFL Combine, where he showed off his speed, finishing fifth out of 72 participants in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.56. This, among other drills, caught the attention of Roughrider scouts, who took him as the team's third pick that night.
And when the moment finally came and his name appeared on the draft ticker, the BSU graduate said a sense of relief set in.
“I mean, I've been sitting here anxiously waiting for a long time, and I feel like I just kind of wanted to know where I was going to go, because potentially having a chance to get into the NFL… Because obviously I knew. But no, it doesn't look that hot right now,” he said. “So I just wanted to know where I was going. So when I kind of found out I was going to Saskatchewan and Regina, it was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.”
Duncan-Buzbee also reflected on the support he received after being selected. “[The Roughriders] We have an incredible fan base. I know they have one of the biggest ones. I mean, it was kind of cool just to see that, considering the amount of love and support that I received from them on social media yesterday, and they're a pretty deep organization out there, and they're looking for big To make things happen. ”
In 47 career games at BSU, Duncan-Busby certainly made his mark on the record books, ranking in the top five in numerous statistical categories. He said none of this would have been possible if he had great coaches and teammates around him at Bemidji State.
