Matthias Goossen has followed a similar path to another Richmond native during his football career but the next chapter won't be with the hometown B.C. Lions.
Goossen was selected second overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Tuesday's CFL college draft.
The Lions had shown interest in moving up in the draft to potentially pick Goossen and fill a place on their roster vacated by Angus Reid who officially retired earlier this year. However, the Bombers were equally enthused and even flew
Goossen in for a second interview following the CFL Combine in Toronto.
"He was very intelligent in the room and moved very well out on the field," said Winnipeg general manager Kyle Walters. "Basically, the stuff we saw on film was verified. The advantage of of bringing him here was to see how quickly he can pick up a system. He obviously showed he is very intelligent."
Like Reid, Goossen played his high school football at Vancouver College before a standout career at Simon Fraser University where he played all four positions on the offensive line and was a three-time first team conference all-star. The 6-foot-4 294-pounder also served as a team captain the past two seasons.
"It's fun to be a professional player when you think almost every kid dreams of one day being a pro athlete," he said. "It's an amazing day and a huge blessing to play for the Bombers."
Despite being No. 9 in the CFL Scouting Bureau's final rankings, Gossen and Laval's Pierre Lavertu were considered the most ready to immediately play in the CFL. Still, the Bombers plan to take his development slowly.
"The film says he has a real good chance (of being a starter) but being as young as he is there is a difference here," said Winnipeg head coach Mike O'Shea. "We don't want to stick him in, get him shellshocked and ruin his confidence. If training camp shows us thats the logical step then he will be in there. But if he needs time, we are quite willing to do that too. He will be a good player for a long time in this league."
