Pro path

Calgary signed Hefney as a free agent on June 18, 2013. He signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on May 26, 2009. He signed with the National Football League’s Detroit Lions in 2010 and spent time on the team’s practice roster before being released and returning to the Blue Bombers on Sept. 28, 2010. He signed with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and also had a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles.

2012

Hefney started all 18 games for the Blue Bombers and led the club with 74 tackles. He also had four fumble recoveries, three special-teams tackles, one sack, four tackles for loss, three pass knockdowns, one forced fumble and one interception. He also displayed versatility as he played both halfback and strong-side linebacker. For his efforts, Hefney was named a CFL East Division all-star as well as a CFLPA all-star. He registered a tackle in every game and had eight games in which he collected at least five tackles including a season high of eight against Montreal on Nov. 3. In the season-opener against BC on June 29, Hefney had five tackles and one interception. On Aug. 16 against Hamilton, he had four tackles, one sack and one special-teams tackle. Hefney recorded his 200th career tackle on Aug. 3 against Montreal.

2011

Seeing action in all 18 regular-season games, Hefney started the first two contests of the season at linebacker before returning to his familiar position of halfback. He led the team in tackles with 76 and earned East Division and CFL all-star recognition. Hefney led the team with 11 pass knockdowns and amassed six interceptions, three tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, one sack and three special-teams tackles. He recorded a season-best nine tackles in a July 28 meeting with the BC Lions and earned the CFL’s defensive player of the week award. Hefney played in the East Division final, picking up five tackles, and in the Grey Cup, during which he had three stops.

2010

After attending Detroit Lions training camp and starting the season on the NFL club’s practice roster, Hefney was released and rejoined the Blue Bombers on Sept. 28. He saw action in Winnipeg’s final six games and made five starts, recording 25 tackles, two special-teams tackles, two interceptions and two pass knockdowns. On Oct. 30, he had two interceptions in a game against the Edmonton Eskimos.

2009

Hefney was a finalist for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie award as he played 18 games — starting every contest at halfback — and collected 66 tackles, including one tackle for loss, five special-teams tackles, four interceptions and 10 pass knockdowns. For his spectacular play in his first CFL season, he was voted as a division and league all-star.

Career highlights

• Was a East Division all-star in 2009, 2011 and 2011
• CFL all-star in 2009 and 2011
• Led the Blue Bombers in tackles in both 2011 and 2012
• Was East Division finalist for the Most Outstanding Rookie award in 2009
• Recorded his 200th career tackle on Aug. 3, 2012, against the Montreal Alouettes
• Named CFL defensive player of the week for Week 5 in 2011
• Had two interceptions in an Oct. 30, 2010, game against the Edmonton Eskimos
• Had a career high of nine tackles against BC on July 28, 2011
• Was a starter in the 2011 Grey Cup and registered three tackles

College

Hefney played 51 games in four seasons at Tennessee (2004-07). After serving as a backup in the 2004 season-opener, he made 50 consecutive starts for the Volunteers. No other non-kicker has made that many starts in the program’s history. He was a first-team all-Southeastern Conference selection as a senior as he recorded 96 tackles and one interception. He was second-team all-conference as a junior in 2006. For his career, Hefney had 257 tackles, 10 interceptions and one fumble recovery as well as 67 punt returns for 559 yards and eight kickoff returns for 138 yards.

Notable

Hefney made the all-region team on both offence and defence at Rock Hill High School in 2002 as he led the team to a perfect 15-0 record. As a quarterback, he threw for four touchdowns and ran for 10 scores. On defence, he had five interceptions scored two touchdowns, one on a pick and another on a fumble return.