Elks sign nine players, including WR Jalon Calhoun
12/23/2024 04:36 PM
EDMONTON — The Edmonton Elks have signed nine players to contracts, the club announced Monday.
The Elks have signed Americans Jalon Calhoun (WR), Corey Crooms Jr (WR), Demetries Ford (DB), Devron Harper (WR), Leonard Johnson (DB), Jaan Laap (WR), Kenneth Logan Jr (DB), and Nationals Campbell Fair (K) and Micah Roane (DL) for the 2025 season.
Calhoun suited up for the Duke Blue Devils for five season (2019-2023), recording 253 receptions for 3,026 yards and 17 touchdowns during his college career. The Greenville, South Carolina native’s most prolific season came in 2022 where he caught 62 balls for 873 yards and four touchdowns. Calhoun went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, but would proceed to sign with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent.
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Crooms Jr signs with the Elks after having spent the 2023 season at the University of Minnesota where he played in all 13 games for the Golden Gophers. The six-foot wide receiver hauled in 28 passes for 376 yards in 2023. Prior to joining Minnesota, Crooms Jr recorded 115 receptions for 1,766 yards and 12 touchdowns in 42 games for the Western Michigan Broncos from 2019-2022. Following the NFL Draft, Crooms Jr was signed by the Dallas Cowboys before being waived in training camp due to injury.
Ford is a five-foot-nine defensive back out of the University of Arizona, where he played the 2023 season. In 12 games with the Sun Devils, Ford recorded 31 total tackles — including 1.5 tackles-for-loss — with five passes defended and a forced fumble. The South Miami, Florida product spent time with Austin Peay from 2021 to 2023 and Youngstown State from 2019 to 2021. Following his college career, Ford joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for 2024 Training Camp. After being announced among Winnipeg’s final roster cuts, Ford joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats practice roster.
Harper spent three seasons with Mercer University, compiling 159 receptions for 1,929 yards and 13 touchdowns in 34 games with the Bears. During his time with Mercer, Harper was used as an all-purpose weapon. He notched 56 carries for 458 yards and six touchdowns on the ground, while registering 1,971 yards of return yards and four touchdowns (three punt, one kickoff). Harper joined the BC Lions in September of 2024 as a part of their expanded practice roster before being released in October.
Johnson joins Edmonton having spent four games in 2024 as a member of the Toronto Argonauts where he recorded 24 tackles. The Duke product would be released in late August before joining the Hamilton Tiger-Cats practice roster in September. The Hayden, Alabama native spent four seasons with the Blue Devils from 2018 to 2021 where he notched 165 total tackles, six interceptions, 24 passes defended, two sacks, and three forced fumbles in 47 games.
Laap spent four seasons with with Cortland State where he racked up 3,125 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns on 167 receptions in 46 games with the Red Dragons. In 2023 alone, Laap caught 70 passes for 1,291 yards and 14 touchdowns with six 100-yard performances — including a 250 yard performance against Susquehanna. Laap would sign as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Rams, catching a 47-yard touchdown in preseason, before being released in late August.
Logan Jr was a tackling machine during his time with Kansas University. In three seasons (2021 to 2023) the St. Augustine, Florida native racked up 313 total tackles with 12.5 tackles-for-loss. Logan Jr. also added four interceptions, 21 passes defended, and four fumble recoveries while with the Jayhawks. Following the 2024 NFL Draft, Logan Jr. signed with the Los Angeles Rams before being waived in August.
Fair is a former 2023 Calgary Stampeders sixth-round-pick (51st overall) who spent four seasons with the University of Ottawa. In his five seasons with the Gee-Gees, The Ontario native connected on 48 of 68 field goal attempts with 69 converts. The 24-year-old was named a Second-Team OUA All-Star in his final year at the University of Ottawa (2022). Fair was added to the Elks expanded practice roster in September before his release in October.
Roane joins Edmonton after spending the 2024 season as a member of the Montreal Alouettes. The 24-year-old defensive lineman was drafted in the fourth round (38th overall) in the 2024 CFL Draft and spent the majority of the season on the Als practice roster, suiting up for six games. Prior to the CFL, Roane played four years at South Dakota where he registered 94 total tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss, 7.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 40 games
