If you think transitioning from college to the NFL is tough, think about adjusting from Canadian college football to the highest level of the American game.
That's what Antony Auclair had to do as he finished up at Champlain Lennoxville in Quebec and eventually made his way to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before landing in Houston.
Auclair had grown up playing CFL-style football, "12 players on each side, three downs, bigger field, all of that" he told me on Texans Radio. To make matters tougher, the college football landscape north of the border is not exactly the SEC. "It's for sure not D-1 football but some of the teams in the circuit are pretty good" he said.
"The transition from that to the NFL was kind of weird because I used to be a wide out with a head start." Referring to the CFL rules that enable receivers to get a running start before the snap. "But at the end of the day football is football, right?"
So how did the NFL find him? "I got invited to the East-West Shrine game. I was able to compete there and I think I made a name for myself." Auclair signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent and eventually was a member of the 2020 squad that won the Super Bowl.
He's part of a competitive tight end group in Houston, looking to make the most of it. "We're trying to be better running the ball and I think with my skill set I can be a good fit."
Tune in to Texans Training Camp Live – 8-10AM Through Tuesday, August 10 on Sports Radio 610 for more exclusive interviews and coverage from the Houston Methodist Training Center.
Check out the best photos from Day 7 of Training Camp presented by Xfinity.
