Udoh out to make name for himself

Dan Washnuk could see the potential in Nathan Udoh the first time he spotted him walking the hallways at Miles Macdonell Collegiate.

There was just one problem for the high school football coach: Udoh preferred futbol — and he was darn good at it.

The defensive midfielder for Bonivital Soccer Club even had a scholarship offer from the University of Alberta.

“I had been trying to get him to play football for at least a year. Most times when you have that high-level athlete you’re trying to recruit, and they tell you no because they’re playing at a provincial or national level in another sport, I’m usually pretty good about moving on and understanding,” said Washnuk.

“But then his brother (Darnell) joined for his Grade 12 year and was coming in to get fitted for equipment. Nathan was kind of hanging around, and he poked his head in. I guess it kind of clicked for him when he said, ‘You mean I’d be able to play on the same team as my brother?’ So I think that was it.”

Soccer remained the priority, but Udoh — who was in Grade 11 — joined and started by playing defence. That summer, he tried out for Manitoba’s U18 Canada Cup team at receiver and, despite not having any experience at the position, made the roster and became a starter.

Little did he know, he was on the path to becoming a professional.

On Tuesday, the Manitoba Bisons star receiver was selected in the third round, 28th overall, by the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL Canadian Draft.

“It’s kind of a crazy story when I think about it,” Udoh told the Free Press.

“When I first started out, I knew I could catch a ball, I knew I could run and jump, but if you asked me then if I thought I’d get drafted in the third round of the CFL Draft I would’ve told you you’re crazy. It’s definitely a big shock in terms of my story, but I’m confident, I want to be here, and truthfully, I expect myself to be here and play at this level so I’m excited for training camp next week.”

Udoh’s agent warned him he’d likely go in the mid-to-late rounds. After the draft went off the air following the first two rounds, the only thing the 23-year-old could do was hit refresh on the CFL’s online draft tracker and wait for his phone to ring.

“I was probably the most relaxed in the room,” said Udoh, who watched the draft at home with his immediate family.

“My mom was pretty nervous, though. I could tell she was a little nervous for me.”

It didn’t take long for her nerves to settle.

Soon after, a call came from Als general manager Danny Maciocia, officially making Udoh the highest-drafted Bisons receiver since 2015 when the Saskatchewan Roughriders selected Nic Demski.

“Lots of smiles, lots of happiness, a lot of joy. It was a good night,” said Udoh. ”I knew they were interested, but I didn’t know if they were going to be the team to come get me but I’m just happy they did.”

After leading Miles Mac to a Div. II WHSFL title in his senior year in 2019, Udoh committed to the U of M. The pandemic erased the 2020 campaign, but he was one of a handful of rookies who consistently showed up at the facility to train.

“That’s a kid who grew exponentially in our program. We coached him at provincial team and he was a good player, but he was a transitioning to football and had a long way to go,” said Bisons head coach Stan Pierre.

“He just worked, and worked, and worked, and has really benefited from the culmination of so many hard years of sticking with it.”

He had some injury setbacks early on in university, but this past year he established himself as one of the best pass catchers in the nation. Quarterback Jackson Tachinski’s go-to target recorded 44 catches for 599 yards and three touchdowns in nine games.

The most memorable of those was the team’s home opener when Udoh tied a 27-year school record for catches in a single contest with 12 — adding 158 yards and a touchdown — to help the Herd bounce back from a 17-0 hole at halftime against Saskatchewan to win a 21-20 thriller.

Udoh’s coming out party earned him a direct invite to the CFL National Combine.

“I kind of joked with him, he was the player of the game or something one time, and I kind of looked at him and was like ‘Finally,’” said Pierre. “I said it tongue in cheek, but that’s kind of the way his career has been, it was just like ‘When is this volcano going to erupt?’ And last year was it.”

The six-foot-one, 215-pounder has another year of eligibility with the Bisons. If the Als send him back to school for some additional seasoning, the goal is to use his first CFL camp experience to help him close out his U Sports career in style.

“A lot of work’s been put in and I’m happy to be at this spot,” he said.

“But I know it’s not just about getting here, it’s about making a name for yourself.”

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