Michael Wakefield
American gridiron football player (born 1994)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Wakefield (born January 12, 1994) is an American professional football defensive lineman for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Valdosta, Georgia, U.S.
Wakefield with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2023 | |||||||||||
| No. 96 – Ottawa Redblacks | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive lineman | ||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||
| CFL status | American | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | January 12, 1994 Valdosta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 285 lb (129 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Valdosta High School | ||||||||||
| College | FIU (2012–2015) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2016: undrafted | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
| Career CFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||
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College career
Wakefield played college football for the FIU Panthers from 2012 to 2015.[1]
Professional career
Washington Redskins
After not being selected in the 2016 NFL draft, Wakefield signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2016, but was among the final training camp cuts in September 2016.[2]
Ottawa Redblacks (first stint)

On June 12, 2017, Wakefield signed with the Ottawa Redblacks.[3] He played in his first professional game on August 31, 2017, against the Montreal Alouettes where he recorded one defensive tackle.[4] That year, he played in six regular season games where he had four defensive tackles.[4]
In 2018, Wakefield played in 17 regular season games where he had 18 defensive tackles and three sacks.[4] He also played in his first career post-season games, in the East Final and the 106th Grey Cup.[4] However, he did not record any statistics in the championship game as the Redblacks lost to the Calgary Stampeders.[4] He re-signed with the Redblacks to a one-year extension on December 14, 2018.[5] He had 32 defensive tackles, four sacks, and one interception in 16 games in 2019 as the Redblacks missed the post-season.[4]
Wakefield re-signed with the Redblacks on January 20, 2020, but did not play that year due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season.[6] He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 9, 2021.[7]
Montreal Alouettes
On February 9, 2021, it was announced that Wakefield had signed with the Montreal Alouettes.[8] He played in 12 regular season games where he had 23 defensive tackles and four sacks.[4] In 2022, he played in 14 regular season games where he recorded 20 defensive tackles and three sacks.[4] His contract expired on February 14, 2022.[9]
Ottawa Redblacks (second stint)
On February 14, 2023, Wakefield signed with the Redblacks.[9]