According to the Canadian Football League website, the Calgary Stampeders selected wide receiver Damien Alford of Montreal, Quebec first overall in the 2025 Canadian Football League Draft. Alford played his college football in the United States at Syracuse University and the University of Utah.
Alford had all of his success at the National Collegiate Athletic Association level with the Orangemen. From 2020 to 2023, he had 67 catches for 1291 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches. In 2023, Alford had 18.5 yards per reception, that led the Atlantic Coast Conference. In 2024, Alford transferred to Utah and the Big 12 Conference. There he saw a significant lack of playing time, as he only played four games, did not have a reception, and was only on the football field for a dozen snaps according to FOX Sports.
There were two wide receivers chosen in the first round. The Ottawa Reblacks chose wide receiver Keelan White of North Vancouver, British Columbia third overall. White played his College Football at the University of Montana. Alford was one of two players selected by the Stampeders in the first round from Montreal. The other was Christopher Fortin, an offensive lineman, who played this past year at the University of Connecticut. He was selected eighth overall.