Former Kansas cornerback Kalon Gervin has earned an opportunity to play professional football.
Gervin, who was previously invited to NFL minicamps by the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants after going undrafted, has signed with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League, the team announced Monday.
Gervin played two seasons at KU after transferring from Michigan State. He served as the Jayhawks’ third option at cornerback behind Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson and played in 26 games with three starts, after appearing in just 22 across four season with the Spartans.
Over his two seasons in Lawrence, Gervin tallied 35 tackles, one for loss, with eight passes defensed. He participated in the Big 12 Conference’s inaugural joint Pro Day event at the end of March.
Gervin is a native of Detroit and was the top-ranked player in Michigan by several services coming out of high school.
He now becomes the latest Jayhawk to get a chance in the pros after Austin Booker and Dominick Puni were drafted into the NFL and Jason Bean, Kenny Logan Jr., Mike Novitsky and Craig Young signed as undrafted free agents.
A variety of former Jayhawks have pursued professional opportunities to the north, but perhaps none in recent years has had success as great as that of former KU running back Jon Cornish, a native of New Westminster, British Columbia, who went on to three CFL All-Star selections and one Most Outstanding Player award during a nine-year career with the Calgary Stampeders.
The Redblacks have gone to the KU well before, drafting offensive lineman Alex Fontana in the first round of the 2019 CFL Draft.
One Jayhawk currently in the league is Azur Kamara, who was signed by the Edmonton Elks in April.
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
