WINNIPEG — The prospect of participating in the 2028 Olympics is intriguing to Tevaughn Campbell.
Earlier this week, the CFL announced it will allow players to represent their countries in flag football at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, where the sport will make its Olympic debut.
“I’d absolutely love to be on the Olympic team, to be honest,” the Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back said Wednesday during Grey Cup media day. “I always wanted to be an Olympic (athlete), I think everyone who grows up wants to be an Olympic athlete.
“It would definitely be very cool to have that opportunity to go and be on that team.”
But first and foremost on Campbell’s mind is the Grey Cup. Campbell and the Riders face the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL title game Sunday at Princess Auto Stadium.
However, if there’s a CFL player who could transition to flag football, it would appear to be Campbell. The six-foot, 200-pound Toronto native was a track sprinter at the University of Regina and also trained with Canada’s national rugby sevens team during the 2016-17 world rugby sevens series.
“My son plays flag football, but I think it’s different than the international level,” Campbell said with a chuckle. “There was a lot of flag football when I was in Jacksonville (with the NFL’s Jaguars from 2022-24), they held a lot of camps out there.
“It’s definitely a different game, I will say that, but I don’t think it’s something I can’t adjust to.”
Campbell has spent the last 11 seasons in professional football on both sides of the border. He began his CFL career with Calgary (2015) and has also spent time with Saskatchewan (2016-17, 2025-present), Montreal (2017-18), as well as in the NFL with the New York Jets (2019), L.A. Chargers (2019-22), Las Vegas (2022) and Jacksonville before returning to the Riders.
The approval permits the CFL to begin working with the CFL Players’ Association, the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and Olympic authorities to implement rules governing the participation of its players.
Canadians and Americans make up most of CFL rosters, but the league also has 37 global players from 16 countries. In May, the NFL announced it would allow players on its teams to participate in the L.A. Games.
The Canadian men’s team is coached by former CFL head coach Paul LaPolice.
In September, the Canadian men’s and women’s flag football teams advanced to the 2026 world championships – the latest step in Olympic qualification. That event will be held in Germany.
Campbell said Canada’s ability to add CFL players should help the men’s program in its quest to compete with the United States.
“I think you want guys who’re able to compete with the likes of Tyreek Hill and stuff like that,” Campbell said. “You hope so.”
But it would appear the biggest hurdle facing Campbell is Father Time.
“But 2028 is so far,” he said. “I’m already 32 now.
“I’d be 35 then, and I don’t know how the back will be feeling.”
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JACKSON STAYING PUT
Defensive back Kordell Jackson is staying put.
A CFL source said Wednesday that Jackson has agreed to a one-year extension with the Edmonton Elks. That would keep five-foot-10, 185-pound Jackson under contract with the CFL club through 2027.
The source spoke on the condition of anonymity as the Elks haven’t formally announced the move.
Jackson, a 26-year-old native of Birmingham, Ala., appeared in all 18 of Edmonton’s regular-season games in 2025, registering 78 tackles, two sacks and an interception.
Over his two-year tenure with the Elks, Jackson has appeared in 34 regular-season games, accumulating 129 tackles, five interceptions, two sacks and two forced fumbles.
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COLLISION COURSE
It would appear Darnell Sankey and A.J. Ouellette are on a collision course to meet in the Grey Cup game Sunday.
Sankey is the Montreal Alouettes middle linebacker, while Ouellette is a running back with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Both players are pivotal members of their respective units. Sankey registered 101 tackles (three for loss), two sacks and a fumble recovery while Ouellette was Saskatchewan’s leading rusher with 1,222 yards (4.93-yard average, eight TDs).
The five-foot-eight, 200-pound Ouellette is a rugged runner whose physical style befits his nickname (Thor). And the six-foot, 242-pound Sankey not only has a nose for the football, but has posted three 100-tackle seasons over his five-year CFL career and had 97 in 2021 with Calgary.
“As the Mike (middle) linebacker, your responsibility is to command the defence,” Sankey said Wednesday during Grey Cup media day. “If A.J. happens to be holding the ball, then he’s going to be my responsibility.
“Obviously, you’re in the middle, but I have a hard time saying it’s the Mike versus the running back. Sometimes you can look at it that way, but there’s so many things that go into this game that it’s our defence versus the offence.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2025.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
