May 7—As a member of the New England Patriots practice squad last season, Jake Burt never appeared in an actual NFL game. The team opted not to re-sign him following the season, sending Burt into free agency — where he had trouble finding a new home.
But despite the small misfortunes, the former St. John's Prep standout took nothing but positives from his experience in New England and has used his time there as a stepping stone for his next big test: the Canadian Football League (CFL).
On Tuesday evening, all of Burt's hard work and dedication paid off as he was selected first overall in the CFL draft by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.