The Calgary Stampeders picked receiver Damien Alford with the first overall selection in Tuesday’s Canadian Football League draft.

The six-foot-six, 215-lb. Montreal product played his final collegiate season at the University of Utah after four seasons at Syracuse.

Damien Alford
Receiver
College: Syracuse
Height: 6.06
Weight: 224
Born: Apr. 6, 2001
Birthplace: Montreal, QC

In 42 games including 28 starts at Syracuse, Alford made 67 catches for 1,291 yards – an average of 19.3 yards per catch – and seven touchdowns. His most productive season with the Orange came in 2023 when he had 33 receptions for 610 yards and three scores.

He played four games at Utah in 2024 and did not record any stats.

At the Big 12 Conference pro day in March, Alford posted a time of 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Alford played his final season of high-school football at McArthur High School in Hollywood, Fla., after previously attending École secondaire Dalbé-Viau in Lachine, Que., the same school that produced Stampeders offensive lineman Christy Nkanu.