3 King's student-athletes selected in 2023 CFL Draft

Three King’s student-athletes, part of the Western Mustangs football team, were selected in the 2023 Canadian Football League (CFL) draft, held on May 2, 2023.

Phillip Grohovac, a Disability Studies major, was selected by the Edmonton Elks in the 3rd round, 20th overall. Grohovac, an offensive lineman from Victoria, B.C., was a 1st Team All-Canadian during the 2022 football season for the Mustangs. Grohovac played 23 games over the last three seasons with the Mustangs.

“I can’t wait to get to Edmonton. I used to go to games there in the summer while visiting family and I think it will be a good spot for me,” says Grohovac. He says he learned a lot from his experience as a King’s student-athlete playing for Western, “but I think what will help me the most is the grittiness I learned to play with at Western.”

Running back Spencer Nichols, a History major with a minor in Sociology, was selected in the 4th round, 36th overall by the Toronto Argonauts. Nichols played 37 games over four seasons with Western.

“I was so excited to see my name get called and even more pumped to see that it was the Argos! I can’t wait to get started,” says Nichols. He says that being a King’s student-athlete playing for Western “has taught me a lot over the span of my five-year career. I will bring a lot of the coaching points and knowledge with me in order to help me succeed while I’m in Toronto.”

The Argonauts also selected defensive back Brendan Murphy, a third-year student from Montreal, Quebec, in the 7th round, 63rd overall. Murphy played 21 games over the past two years with the Mustangs.

King's accounted for three of the four football players selected from the Western Mustangs in the 2023 draft.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of our student-athletes who work so hard on and off the field. It is great to see that work pay off as they realize their dreams of playing professional football. I would like to also acknowledge our Western Mustang partners who continue to provide high-performance sports opportunities for King’s student-athletes,” says Joe Henry, Dean of Students.

Congratulations to Philip, Spencer and Brendan, we wish them the best of luck in their football futures.

Photo credit: Brandon VandeCaveye/Western Mustangs