John Abbott College football alumni make their marks in the CFL
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec – June 10, 2025 – April 29 was a historic day that saw three John Abbott College football alumni selected in the 2025 CLF draft.
Jeremiah Ojo (École secondaire Dorval-Jean-XXIII / John Abbott 2018-2021 / Université de Montréal) was selected by the Grey Cup champions Toronto Argonauts in the first round with the seventh overall pick. Ojo’s first round selection made him the highest selected Islander since Mike Soles was picked fifth overall by Edmonton in 1989.
Picture: Ashton Miller-Melançom & Domenico Piazza
Edmonton selected offensive lineman Domenico Piazza (Collège Sainte-Anne / John Abbott 2017-2019 / McGill University) with the 40th pick. Ashton Miller-Melançon (John Rennie High School / John Abbott 2018-2020 / Queen’s University) was Calgary’s 65th pick. Darius Simmons (John Abbott 2017-2019 / McGill University) signed as a free agent with the Ottawa Red Blacks during the off-season.
It’s exciting to see these guys get their first taste of professional football, especially knowing how hard they have worked towards their football dreams.
– Patrick Gregory, John Abbott College football head coach
Picture: Darius Simmons
Upon final roster moves the weekend of May 31, Jeremiah Ojo joins current CFL mainstays and Abbott alumni René Paredes (John Abbott 2004-2007 and Calgary Stampeders kicker) and Trevor Hoyte (John Abbott 2015-2017 and Hamilton Tiger Cats linebacker) in the CFL. Paredes is back for his 14th season with Calgary after signing a two-year extension. Hoyte is a four-year CFL veteran, having split his time between Toronto and Hamilton.
Ojo recently made his on-field debut on special teams. Prior to the final roster releases, Miller-Melançon made appearances in both Calgary pre-season games at free safety. After lining up at tackle during his university career, Piazza was moved to centre. Simmons made his professional debut at Molson Stadium during the Ottawa versus Alouettes pre-season clash.
The pros are a different ball game. Luckily, I’ve been drafted to a great organization, so that helps with my adaptation, but in the pros, it’s the little things that matter. How much extra film do you watch on top of the expected amount, how much do you take care of your body and how much are you willing to put in extra time to get better at what you need to get better at. It is the details that separates the good from the great and it’s something I’ve been learning ever since being here.
– Jeremiah Ojo, John Abbott College football alumnus and Toronto Argonauts Defensive Lineman
