Nicholas Dheilly
Canadian football player (born 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nicholas Dheilly (born October 21, 1997) is a Canadian former professional football defensive end who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played U Sports football at Regina and Saskatchewan and was selected in the fifth round (46th overall) of the 2020 CFL draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| No. 96 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 21, 1997 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 226 lb (103 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Dr. Martin LeBoldus (SK) |
| University | Regina (2016–2017) Saskatchewan (2019) |
| CFL draft | 2020: 5th round, 46th overall pick |
| Career history | |
| 2020–2021 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 2021–2024 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| Stats at CFL.ca | |
Early life
Dheilly was born on October 21, 1997, in Regina, Saskatchewan.[1] His brother Dominique also played football.[2] He attended Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School and helped them win three consecutive Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association 4A championships.[3] He also played for Team Saskatchewan at the Football Canada Cup and was a member of the Canada national junior football team.[3] A highly-recruited prospect, he committed to play U Sports football for the Regina Rams after flipping his commitment from the Saskatchewan Huskies.[4]
Amateur career
In his debut for the Rams, Dheilly tied the school's single-game sack record with three.[3] He finished the season with 30 tackles, four sacks and an interception, being named the Canada West Universities Athletic Association Rookie of the Year.[5] The following season, he earned league all-star honors after posting 26 defensive tackles and 6.5 sacks.[5] Dheilly left the Rams in 2018 for the Okanagan Sun of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL), recording eight sacks on his way to being named a conference all-star.[5]
In 2019, Dheilly returned to U Sports football by committing to the Saskatchewan Huskies, for which he had initially decided to play with in 2016 before changing his mind.[4] In one season there, he tallied 24 defensive tackles, a team-leading 9.5 TFLs and six sacks, as well as one interception.[5][6] He was named a Canada West All-Star for his performance.[6] Despite having two years of eligibility left, Dheilly opted to declare for the 2020 CFL draft.[5]
Professional career
Dheilly was selected in the fifth round (46th overall) of the 2020 CFL Draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers; the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7][8] He made the team in 2021 and played in four regular season games, recording one tackle on special teams.[9] He was released on November 1.[10]
On November 11, Dheilly was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and was placed on the suspended list.[11] He appeared in no games for the Roughriders in 2021.[12] He was re-signed after the season on December 14.[13] He made the final roster for 2022.[14] Dheilly appeared in seven games during the 2022 season, posting three total tackles before being sidelined by an injury.[12][15] He returned and made the team for the 2023 season.[16] He announced his retirement on August 1, 2024.[17]
