In anticipation of the kickoff of the Canadian Football League season on Thursday night, The Sports Network has released its list of the CFL's 50 best players.
Edmonton Eskimos defensive end Odell Willis ranked 29th on the top-50 list, making him the best of the 18 players with Alabama football roots on CFL season-opening rosters.
At #29 on @TSN_Sports top 50 players in the @CFL is the Mayor himself, DE @KuntryKane205. #CFLKickoff pic.twitter.com/ope2a6rDCE
— Edmonton Eskimos (@EdmontonEsks) June 22, 2016
But it hasn't been a straight line from Yantley, Alabama, a community in Choctaw County a few miles west of the state line with Mississippi, to CFL stardom.