Adam Auclair

Canadian gridiron football player (born 1996)
Adam Auclair
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Auclair with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2022
Born: (1996-03-29) March 29, 1996 (age 28)
Saint-Georges, Quebec, Canada
Career information
StatusActive
CFL statusNational
Position(s)Linebacker
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight223 lb (101 kg)
UniversityLaval
CFL draft2020, Round: 1, Pick: 6
Drafted byOttawa Redblacks
Career history
As player
2021–2023Ottawa Redblacks
2024–presentSaskatchewan Roughriders
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× Vanier Cup champion (2016, 2018)
HonoursSecond Team All-Canadian
(2016)
First Team All-Canadian
(2017)
Presidents' Trophy (2017)
Career stats
  • Playing stats at CFL.ca

Adam Auclair (born March 29, 1996) is a Canadian professional football linebacker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

University career

Auclair with the Rouge et Or in 2019.

Auclair played U Sports football for the Laval Rouge et Or from 2016 to 2019.[1] With Laval, he had 113.5 total tackles and seven interceptions.[2] He was named a U Sports Second Team All-Canadian in 2016 and finished the year as a Vanier Cup champion following the team's victory in the 52nd Vanier Cup game where he also had an interception to contribute to the win.[3]

In 2017, he was named a U Sports First Team All-Canadian and also won the Presidents' Trophy as the stand-up Defensive Player of the Year.[4] He again played in the Vanier Cup, but the Rouge et Or lost to the Western Mustangs in the 53rd Vanier Cup.[5]

While Auclair did not win any individual awards for the 2018 regular season, he won one of the most important ones during the post-season that year. In the 54th Vanier Cup game, he recorded 10.5 tackles, including an impactful tackle for a loss in the second half, and one interception as he won the Bruce Coulter Award as the defensive player of the game.[6] He won his second national championship as the Rouge et Or defeated the Mustangs by a score of 34–20.[6] In his final season, in 2019, Auclair played in eight regular season games where he had 41 tackles.[7]

Professional career

Ottawa Redblacks

Auclair was drafted in the first round, sixth overall, by the Ottawa Redblacks in the 2020 CFL Draft, but did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season.[8] Instead, he signed with the team on February 12, 2021.[7] He made the team's active roster following training camp and played in his first professional game on August 7, 2021, against the Edmonton Elks, where he had two special teams tackles.[2] He played in 12 out of 14 regular season games in 2021 where he had 12 defensive tackles, eight special teams tackles, and one forced fumble.[2]

In 2022, Auclair began the season as a backup, but earned his first start at linebacker on July 8, 2022, against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he had six defensive tackles.[2][9] He continued to start at linebacker until he suffered a hand injury following the week 9 game against the Calgary Stampeders.[9][10] After being placed on the injured list for six games, he returned to play as a backup linebacker in the Thanksgiving Day Classic against the Montreal Alouettes where he had four defensive tackles and two special teams tackles.[2][9] He finished the year having played in 12 regular season games where he had 44 defensive tackles, eight special teams tackles, and one sack.[2]

In the 2023 season, Auclair played in all 18 regular season games where he had 63 defensive tackles, 14 special teams tackles, one sack, one interception, and one forced fumble.[2] As a pending free agent in 2024, it was reported that Auclair intended to sign with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Consequently, he was granted an early release by the Redblacks on February 8, 2024.[11]

Saskatchewan Roughriders

On February 9, 2024, it was announced that Auclair had signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a one-year contract.[12]

Personal life

Auclair's brother, Antony Auclair, played as a tight end and the two played together for one year, in 2016, with the Laval Rouge et Or.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Adam Auclair" (in French). Laval Rouge et Or. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Adam Auclair". Ottawa Redblacks. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  3. ^ "Vanier Cup won by Laval Rouge et Or in comeback win over Calgary Dinos". Global News. November 26, 2016.
  4. ^ "Alberta running back Ilnicki headlines U Sports football major award winners". U Sports. November 23, 2017.
  5. ^ "Laval Rouge et Or loses Vanier Cup to Western Mustangs". Montreal Gazette. November 25, 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Rouge et Or capture record 10th Vanier Cup over Mustangs at home". U Sports. November 24, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "sign 2020 first-round draft pick and defensive back Adam Auclair and American linebacker Micah Awe". Ottawa Redblacks. May 20, 2022.
  8. ^ "CFL DRAFT: Ottawa Redblacks grab Laval LB/DB Adam Auclair with first-round pick". Ottawa Sun. May 1, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c "Game Notes" (PDF). Canadian Football League. July 8, 2022.
  10. ^ "Ottawa Redblacks' linebacker Adam Auclair could be out long-term with hand injury". 3DownNation. August 15, 2022.
  11. ^ "Transactions – Football player trades and signings". Canadian Football League. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  12. ^ "Roughrider welcome former 1st round selection Adam Auclair". Saskatchewan Roughriders. February 9, 2024.
  13. ^ "Redblacks lock up draft pick Adam Auclair, brother of Super Bowl champion". 3DownNation. February 12, 2021.

External links

  • Saskatchewan Roughriders bio
  • Media related to Adam Auclair at Wikimedia Commons
  • v
  • t
  • e
Saskatchewan Roughriders current roster
Active roster
Suspended
East
HAM
MTL
OTT
TOR
West
BC
CGY
EDM
SSK
WPG