Former CFL player Chambers preparing young athletes for their next steps

By Canadian Press on January 27, 2026.

Fourteen years after being selected in the first round of the CFL draft, Shamawd Chambers is preparing the next generation of Canadian football players to pursue a variety of high-performance pathways.

On Friday, the former CFL receiver will host the second annual Canadian High School Football ID Camp in Vaughan, Ont., through Out the Chamber Sports. The event is designed to provide athletes with verified testing, high-level instruction and direct exposure to university recruiters.

“From the testing, the developmental work, and the competitive environment, we’re trying to prepare kids for what they’re going to see two, three, four years down the road,” Chambers said. “I spent a lot of time doing combine-style testing when I was younger, so when I got to the CFL level and the national combine, I already knew what to expect.

“I think that’s one of the biggest differences between good and great athletes. The great ones actively seek out these environments early.”

Chambers oversees the program alongside camp co-director Derrell Levy, with ’24 Hec Crighton Trophy winner Taylor Elgersma and Connor Carusello handling quarterback development. Position coaches include Greg Morris (running backs), Devon Bailey and former CFL player Tevaun Smith (wide receivers), Ese Mrabure (defensive line), former CFL standout Simoni Lawrence and Blair Smith (linebackers) and Jake Kelly and Troy Adams (defensive backs).

Dan Fran serves as the camp’s talent evaluation director.

Friday’s camp will feature 160 athletes, up from 75-100 participants at last year’s inaugural event.

Those athletes will perform before recruiters from 10 of Ontario’s 11 universities as well as Mount Allison, Bishop’s and St. Mary’s universities. Representatives from Choate Rosemary Hall — a private preparatory school in Connecticut — and the NFL Academy in the United Kingdom will also attend.

“One reason we looked at Choate was to provide an option that’s closer to home,” Chambers said. “We don’t want to rush kids into situations where the jump is too extreme.

“Connecticut still allows them to stay connected while adjusting to a new level of competition.”

The possibility of athletes earning opportunities at the NFL Academy is one Chambers believes could be very significant.

“If a Canadian athlete earns a spot at the NFL Academy, that creates a massive ripple effect,” he said.

The six-foot-three, 220-pound Chambers played collegiately at Wilfrid Laurier and was ranked third on the CFL Scouting Bureau’s Top-20 prospects list ahead of the 2012 CFL Draft. At the league’s evaluation camp, he recorded the fastest 40-yard dash time at 4.42 seconds.

Chambers was selected sixth overall by Edmonton in the 2012 CFL draft and spent two stints with the organization (2012-15, 2017). He also played with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2016) and Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2017-18).

Chambers helped Edmonton win the ’15 Grey Cup, earning top Canadian honours in that game.

Football participation in Ontario declined following the ’20 global pandemic but Chambers believes the sport is trending upward again, aided by the rapid growth of flag football. Flag football is scheduled to make its Olympic debut at the ’28 Games in Los Angeles and also expected to become a university sport for women in Canada.

“Flag football opens the door for more athletes,” Chambers said. “As the game continues to evolve, it’s important to give players proper testing, development and structure so they can compete at the highest levels.”

In recent years, a growing number of Canadians have pursued football opportunities in the U.S. for part or all of their high school careers. While that trend highlights the quality of talent in Canada, Chambers emphasizes the objective is not to prevent athletes from leaving but ensure they’re properly prepared regardless of what they choose.

“We always want athletes to have the opportunity to go to the U.S. if that’s the right move for them,” Chambers said. “The bigger question is what we’re doing for the athletes who are here?

“Are we building the right structure, competition and development so they can reach the CFL and beyond if they stay?”

For Chambers, the long-term vision is about strengthening Canada’s football ecosystem.

“If we build things properly at the grassroots and high school levels, we give athletes real options,” he said. “Some will go south, some will stay, but either way they’re prepared.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2026.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press