John Rush (Canadian football)

John Rush (born October 23, 1993) is a Canadian former professional football linebacker and fullback who played for three years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

John Rush
Rush with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2016
Born: (1993-10-23) October 23, 1993 (age 31)
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Career information
StatusActive
CFL statusNational
Position(s)fullback
Linebacker
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight227 lb (103 kg)
CollegeGuelph
CJFLHamilton Hurricanes
High schoolSaint Michael Catholic
CFL draft2015, undrafted
Career history
As player
2016Winnipeg Blue Bombers*
20172020Winnipeg Blue Bombers
*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career stats

University career

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Rush played CIS football at linebacker for the Guelph Gryphons from 2011 to 2015 where he won the Presidents' Trophy in his final year as university football's best defensive player.[1]

Professional career

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Rush was signed as a free agent on November 30, 2015, by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after going unselected in the 2015 CFL Draft.[2][3][4] He attended training camp with the Blue Bombers in 2016, but was part of the team's final cuts that year. Having exhausted his college eligibility, he played for the Canadian Junior Football League's Hamilton Hurricanes in 2016.[5] Following that year focusing on special teams play, he was re-signed by the Blue Bombers on December 13, 2016.[6]

Following training camp in 2017, Rush made the team's active roster and made his professional debut on July 1, 2017, against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.[7] He played in all 18 regular season games where he had six special teams tackles. In 2018, he played in 13 regular season games and had one defensive tackle.[7] In 2019, he again played in all 18 regular season games and recorded seven special teams tackles.[7] He also played in his first Grey Cup game where the Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 107th Grey Cup. He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season and became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 9, 2021.[8]

Personal life

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Rush used his COVID-19 vaccination to raise awareness for LGBT+ causes, wearing a full-length bridal gown and fully-styled hair and accessories for the occasion.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Guelph Gryphons football roster – John Rush". gryphons.ca. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  2. ^ "2015 CFL transactions". cfl.ca. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  3. ^ "Bombers sign linebacker John Rush, punter Pavlopoulos". winnipegfreepress.com. December 1, 2015.
  4. ^ "2015 CFL Draft Guide" (PDF). vaniercollege.qc.ca. Canadian Football League. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  5. ^ "John Rush joins the Blue Bombers". gryphonfootball.com. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  6. ^ "Bombers Add Warden, Rush, Tennant To Roster". bluebombers.com. December 13, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c "John Rush". Canadian Football League. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  8. ^ "Transactions - Football player trades and signings". Canadian Football League. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  9. ^ Vannucci, Juliana (June 2, 2021). "Former Blue Bomber raises more than 10K for LGBTQ organization with vaccination wedding dress stunt". Global News. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
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