April 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cI spent 10 minutes on the phone when they drafted me, my family was being really quiet, and I was holding back the tears.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 6-foot-1, 302-pound offensive lineman made 32 starts at centre during his U-SPORTS collegiate career with the University of Calgary Dinos after an impressive high school career under Sean Smith and his Vernon Panthers\u2019 program.<\/p>\n
It was a family friend who encouraged Szeman to give up hockey and try football.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t be more proud of what Brady has accomplished at the university level,\u201d said Smith. \u201cI had the opportunity to coach him in Vernon Minor Football, long before he became a Panther, and from day one he was the kind of player every coach hopes for \u2014 dependable, unselfish, and completely team\u2011first.<\/p>\n
\u201cOffensive line isn\u2019t a glamorous position; your name doesn\u2019t get called and the spotlight is usually elsewhere. But Brady has always embraced life in the trenches, taking pride in being a quiet, high\u2011impact contributor to every team he\u2019s been part of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Szeman\u2019s pro stock soared with scouts after his impressive showing at the CFL\u2019s Combine Evaluation weekend in Edmonton a month before the draft.<\/p>\n
He was one of seven prospects that stood out according to CFL.ca writer Marshall Ferguson.<\/p>\n
\u201dI thought Calgary\u2019s Brayden Szeman quietly had an excellent combine. Playing centre requires a higher level of communication and recognition than other spots along the offensive line, and Szeman showed he could handle that responsibility while working with a variety of new teammates in the combine setting.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegardless, his frame, athletic base and the demand for centres at the next level all suggest Szeman helped himself last weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
Szeman was one of six Dinos chosen in the 2026 draft. Calgary and the Windsor Lancers led U-SPORTS programs with each having six players taken. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are all happy for our guys that got picked,\u201d Dinos head coach Ryan Sheahan said. \u201cWhat a great moment for those young men and their families. We are so happy we could be a part of their journey as football players. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur program is one that strives to develop the best people and players. Our goals are to be the best team in the nation. Accolades and draft picks are byproducts of doing the right things the right way as much as possible. We recruit players that care deeply about the game and being good at it. So, to see dreams come true for some of our guys tonight was pretty special.\u201d <\/p>\n
Szeman was the first Dino off the board, chosen by Hamilton with the fifth pick of the fourth round, the 34th overall pick.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Vernon Panthers alum has been the model of consistency, starting all eight games each of the last four years at centre,\u201d wrote Jack Neumann with U of C communications.<\/p>\n
The six Calgary players chosen in the 2026 draft were picked by six different CFL clubs. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s the 25th consecutive year the Dinos have had at least one player selected in the CFL Draft, with the total number of draftees from the program now totalling 176 over that span following Tuesday\u2019s results. <\/p>\n
Szeman, Class of 2020 at VSS, is the fifth Panther in the Smith era taken in the CFL draft since 2021:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Ray Wladichuk drafted by Hamilton in 2009;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Ben Hladik drafted by BC in 2021;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Josh Hyer drafted by Hamilton in 2023;<\/p>\n
\u2022 Brad Hladik drafted by Edmonton in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrady has a rare combination of size, athleticism, and intelligence that makes him a natural fit at centre, and it\u2019s a big reason he was drafted so high by the Tiger\u2011Cats\u201d said Smith. \u201cHe\u2019s a cerebral player \u2014 while he was with the Panthers, he was the anchor and the brains of the entire offensive line, and a key contributor to our back-to-back titles in 2019-2020.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what really stood out to the Hamilton coaches, though, is his ability to move in space, which gives him the versatility needed to succeed at the next level. Panther Nation will be cheering for him in the next chapter of his football career!\u201d<\/p>\n
Szeman leaves the first week of May for the Tiger-Cats\u2019 rookie camp. He has never been to Hamilton. <\/p>\n
The Ti-Cats won the CFL East Division in 2025 with an 11-7 record, but lost the Eastern Final at home, 19-16, to the Montreal Alouettes. <\/p>\n