# 1997 CFL draft

The 1997 CFL Draft took place on Monday, April 7, 1997. 48 Canadian football players were chosen from 363 eligible Canadian universities as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA.
The Ottawa Rough Riders folded following the 1996 CFL season, but any trades involving the club were still in effect. Since the Rough Riders finished last in the CFL, teams that received selections in trades picked first in those rounds, including the first overall pick. Conversely, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats traded their third round selection to the Rough Riders and that pick was subsequently forfeited. All other Ottawa selections were skipped.

## Forfeitures

* Hamilton forfeited their sixth round selection after making a selection in the 1996 Supplemental Draft.

## Round one

| = CFL Division All-Star | = CFL All-Star | = Hall of Famer |
| Pick # | CFL Team | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | Toronto Argonauts (via Ottawa) | Chad Folk | OL | Utah |
| 2 | Saskatchewan Roughriders | Ben Fairbrother | OL | Calgary |
| 3 | Edmonton Eskimos (via BC) | Ian Franklin | CB | Weber State |
| 4 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Tim Prinsen | OG | North Dakota |
| 5 | Calgary Stampeders (via Winnipeg) | Doug Brown | DL | Simon Fraser |
| 6 | Montreal Alouettes | Steve Charbonneau | DL | New Hampshire |
| 7 | Calgary Stampeders | Jason Clemett | LB | Simon Fraser |
| 8 | Edmonton Eskimos | Mark Farraway | DL | St. Francis Xavier |
| 9 | Toronto Argonauts | Matthew DuBuc | SB | Texas Tech |

## Round two

| Pick # | CFL Team | Player | Position | College |
| 10 | BC Lions (via Winnipeg via Saskatchewan) | Robert Beveridge | OL | British Columbia |
| 11 | Montreal Alouettes (via BC) | Jerome Pathon | WR | Washington |
| 12 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Joe Rumolo | DL | Akron |
| 13 | Saskatchewan Roughriders (via BC via Winnipeg) | Chris Szarka | FB | Eastern Illinois |
| 14 | Montreal Alouettes | Ryan Coughlin | OL | McGill |
| 15 | Calgary Stampeders | Jeff Traversy | DT | Edinboro |
| 16 | Edmonton Eskimos | Patrice Denis | LB | Western Ontario |
| 17 | Toronto Argonauts | Steve Salter | OL | Ottawa |

## Round three

| = CFL Division All-Star | = CFL All-Star | = Hall of Famer |
| Pick # | CFL Team | Player | Position | College |
| 18 | Toronto Argonauts (via Winnipeg via Saskatchewan) | Aldi Henry | CB | Michigan State |
| 19 | BC Lions | Paul Stoilen | LB | Simon Fraser |
| – | Ottawa Rough Riders (via Hamilton) | Team folded prior to season | Team folded prior to season | Team folded prior to season |
| 20 | BC Lions (via Winnipeg) | John Partchenko | OT | Michigan |
| 21 | Montreal Alouettes | Bruno Heppell | RB | Western Michigan |
| 22 | Calgary Stampeders | Frank Rocca | OL | Eastern Michigan |
| 23 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers (via Edmonton) | Marice Henriques | S | Colorado |
| 24 | Toronto Argonauts | Dave Mudge | OT | Michigan State |

## Round four

| Pick # | CFL Team | Player | Position | College |
| 25 | BC Lions (via Ottawa) | Bret Anderson | P | Simon Fraser |
| 26 | Saskatchewan Roughriders | Mark Raphael | CB | Ottawa |
| 27 | BC Lions | Martin Miller-Johnston | CB | Manitoba |
| 28 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Mark Nohra | RB | British Columbia |
| 29 | Montreal Alouettes (via Winnipeg) | Derek Krete | LB | Western Ontario |
| 30 | Montreal Alouettes | Ryan Carruthers | SB | Calgary |
| 31 | Calgary Stampeders | Uzo Ubani | SB | Concordia |
| 32 | Edmonton Eskimos | David Heasman | OL | Northern Arizona |
| 33 | Toronto Argonauts | Jayson Hansen | OL | Texas Tech |

## Round five

| Pick # | CFL Team | Player | Position | College |
| 34 | Saskatchewan Roughriders | Andre Batson | WR | York |
| 35 | BC Lions | Jamie MacDonald | OT | Northern Illinois |
| 36 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Luc Normand | WR | Bishop's University |
| 37 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | Jonathan Swift | LB | Tennessee-Martin |
| 38 | Montreal Alouettes | Andy Brereton | SB | Western Michigan |
| 39 | Calgary Stampeders | Trent Bagnail | OL | Saskatchewan |
| 40 | Edmonton Eskimos | O.J. Santiago | TE | Kent State |
| 41 | Toronto Argonauts | Mark Giardetti | DE | Evangel College |

## Round six

| = CFL Division All-Star | = CFL All-Star | = Hall of Famer |
| Pick # | CFL Team | Player | Position | College |
| 42 | Saskatchewan Roughriders | Dan Comiskey | OL | Windsor |
| 43 | BC Lions | Kelly Lochbaum | LB | Northern Arizona |
| – | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | Forfeit Pick | Forfeit Pick | Forfeit Pick |
| 44 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | Wayne Weathers | DE | Manitoba |
| 45 | Montreal Alouettes | Francis Bellefroid | LB | Bishop's |
| 46 | Calgary Stampeders | Paul Donkersley | RB | Acadia |
| 47 | Edmonton Eskimos | Chris Hardy | QB | Manitoba |
| 48 | Toronto Argonauts | Kris Kershaw | QB | Salisbury State |