CFL season begins for 8 Football Axemen

WOLFVILLE, N.S. - The exhibition season of the Canadian Football League is about to begin tonight as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Toronto Argonauts in the first of five exhibition games slated for this week. The Bombers and Argos will kick off the 2014 preseason tonight at 9:30 pm AST on TSN and former Acadia teammates Taylor Renaud, Jake Thomas, Mike Benson and Kirby Fletcher will meet on the field of play this evening.

Renaud and Thomas, who now both play for Winnipeg, will host former teammates Mike Benson and Kirby Fletcher who will suit up for Toronto.

This will be Thomas' third season with the Bombers while Renaud, who attended last season's Winnipeg training camp, will join Thomas in welcoming Benson and Fletcher.

Renaud (#77), who finished is AUS career at Acadia with 95 receptions for 1600 yards, is slatted to be second in the depth chart to third year Canadian receiver Rory Kohlert. As a 6'2", 266 lbs. defensive tackle for the Bombers, Jake Thomas (#95) will find himself in a backup position for tonight's game against the Argos. Thomas has played in 30 games over his two seasons in Winnipeg and it was rumoured that he may have started tonight but the depth chart posted on the Bombers website indicates not.

Recent graduate of the Axemen, Kirby Fletcher (#68), will backup starting offensive tackle and six year veteran Canadian Chris Van Zeyl. Fletcher, who was named as an AUS All-Star for the last two seasons as a defensive tackle, will continue to adjust to the offensive tackle position with the Argos under the guidance of first year offensive line coach Bryan Chiu.

Mike Benson (#78), the last of four Acadia graduates who will play tonight in Winnipeg, recently joined the Argos from the Edmonton Eskimos. Benson's two year stint in Edmonton included long snapping duties.

Acadia football head coach Jeff Cummins is happy to see his graduates extend their university playing careers to a professional career in the CFL. "I am so pleased to see so many Axemen making their mark on the CFL. Their accomplishments in the AUS and now their chance to do so in the CFL is a testament to the great student-athletes they were while attending Acadia. I am proud of what they've done and wish them the best of luck this season, by fulfilling what I am sure has been a lifelong dream to play professional football"

All eyes will be our recent Acadia graduates tonight as the Argos visit Winnipeg.

Other former Axemen who are currently playing for a CFL franchise include the following:

Mike Miller – Linebacker / Defensive Halfback / Special Teams - Edmonton Eskimos

Matt Carter – Reciever - Ottawa Red Blacks

Martin Pesek – Defensive Lineman - Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Kyle Graves – Reciever / Punter - Montreal Alouettes

Later this week on Friday, the BC Lions visit Edmonton (Mike Miller - Eskimos), while on Saturday Montreal (Kyle Graves - Alouettes) visit the Hamilton (Martin Pesek – Tiger-Cats). Also on Saturday, the Saskatchewan Rough Riders head to Ottawa (Matt Carter - Red Blacks).

The Acadia football season begins on Saturday, August 30 at 5pm as the Axemen host the Saint Mary's Huskies in exhibition play.