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2 North Vancouver football players selected in CFL draft

Keelan White was the No. 3 pick overall by Ottawa. Jackson Findlay will play for his hometown BC Lions
Nick Laba
Nick Laba

Two young football stars from North Vancouver are receiving the chance to live their dreams and play the sport professionally.

After a new Canadian government was picked on Monday, some other strong candidates were selected by teams during the 2025 CFL Draft in Toronto on Tuesday – including Keelan White and Jackson Findlay, both raised in North Van.

The Ottawa Redblacks selected White as the No. 3 overall pick. The six-foot-two, 184-pound University of Montana wide receiver had 161 catches for 1,862 yards and 14 touchdowns during his 57-game collegiate career. In 2023, White was named the school’s MVP.

White’s talents were obvious in high school, when he played for the Handsworth Royals. In 2018 during his senior year, he was No. 1 in the province with an average of 128 receiving yards.

White’s father Richard was then head coach at Handsworth and a former CFL player himself. His mother also played competitively, reaching the national level in flag football.

Findlay will get to play for his hometown BC Lions, as the organization selected the defensive back as the No. 16 pick in the third round. Playing for University of Western Ontario for four seasons, the six-foot-three, 203-pound player racked up 182 tackles, eight interceptions, four sacks, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Findlay was a Ontario University Athletics First-Team All-Star and named the provincial conference’s defensive player of the year in 2024. He played for Vancouver College in high school.

After being drafted, Findlay becomes a fourth-generation professional Canadian football player, following in the footsteps of his father, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather.