Former Kansas University running back Jon Cornish is turning down multiple NFL undrafted free-agent offers to join the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.
The Stampeders drafted Cornish in the second round of last year’s draft and retained his rights. Since Cornish went undrafted in the NFL Draft this weekend, he’ll head up north after finishing up his psychology degree in May.
“I’m going to get to relax a little bit,” Cornish said of his immediate schedule. “If I was going to the (NFL), I’d be going to camps. But for the CFL I’m going to go up there in late May.”
Cornish is a native of British Columbia, making him eligible for the CFL Draft a year ago. The Stampeders have kept in close contact with him in the last few months, sending representitives to the East-West Shrine Game in Houston and retaining strong interest in their local pick.
Cornish sounded upbeat about his decision. As for his family back in Canada…
“They’re pretty excited,” Cornish said with a laugh.
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Jon Cornish, who last season set the Kansas University single season rushing record, was not selected on Sunday, when the fourth through seventh rounds of the 2007 NFL Draft were conducted in New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
Cornish, who was selected after last season in the Canadian Football League Draft by the Calgary Stampeders, now will explore his options as far as potentially signing with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. The Stampeders still own his rights in the CFL, should he decide to play north of the border next season.
Receiver Brian Murph and defensive tackle Rodney Allen, fellow KU seniors who also had chances of being late draft picks, also went untapped.
Notable local players selected on Sunday included Kansas State running back Thomas Clayton (6th round, San Francisco), K-State linebacker Zach Diles (7th Round, Houston), Missouri linebacker Brian Smith (4th round, Jacksonville) and Washburn defensive tackle Trey Lewis (6th round, Atlanta).
For more on this story, read tomorrow’s Lawrence Journal-World and check back at KUSports.com.
