Jeshrun Antwi
{{short description|Canadian gridiron football player (born 1996)}}
{{Infobox CFL biography
| name = Jeshrun Antwi
| number = 20
| team = Calgary Stampeders
| image = 2025, 20, Jeshrun Antwi.jpg
| image_upright = 0.95
| caption = Antwi with the Calgary Stampeders in 2025
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|10|4}}
| birth_place = Israel{{cite web|url=https://werklund.ucalgary.ca/news/class-2020-football-star-balances-education-athletics-achieve-dream-helping-low-income-students |title=Class of 2020: Football star balances education with athletics to achieve dream of helping low-income students |publisher=University of Calgary |date=June 22, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://en.montrealalouettes.com/2022/06/14/antwi-ready-to-fill-in-for-injured-stanback/ |title=Antwi ready to fill in for injured Stanback |publisher=Montreal Alouettes |date=June 14, 2022}}
| death_date =
| death_place =
| status = Active
| import = no
| position1 = Running back
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 220
| CIS = Calgary
| high_school = Father Lacombe High
| CFLDraftedYear = 2019
| CFLDraftedRound = 6
| CFLDraftedPick = 48
| CFLDraftedTeam = Montreal Alouettes
| playing_years1 = {{CFL Year|2019}}
| playing_team1 = Montreal Alouettes*
| playing_years2 = {{CFL Year|2020}}–{{CFL Year|2024}}
| playing_team2 = Montreal Alouettes
| playing_years3 = {{CFL Year|2024}}
| playing_team3 = BC Lions
| playing_years4 = {{CFL Year|2025}}–present
| playing_team4 = Calgary Stampeders
| career_footnotes =
| career_highlights = * Grey Cup champion (2023)
- Vanier Cup champion (2019)
| statlabel1 = Rushing attempts
| statvalue1 = 209
| statlabel2 = Rushing yards
| statvalue2 = 1,128
| statlabel3 = Rushing TDs
| statvalue3 = 1
| statlabel4 = Receptions
| statvalue4 = 52
| statlabel5 = Receiving yards
| statvalue5 = 342
| statlabel6 = Receiving TDs
| statvalue6 = 0
| CFL = jeshrun-antwi/164906/
}}
Jeshrun Antwi-Boasiako (born October 4, 1997) is an Israeli-Canadian professional football running back for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Early life
Antwi was born in Israel, and moved to Ghana when he was five years old, where he primarily played soccer growing up.{{cite web|url=https://www.canadafootballchat.com/recruit-swayed-by-dinos-winning-culture/ |title=Recruit swayed by Dinos winning culture |publisher=Canada Football Chat |date=January 24, 2015}}{{cite web |url=https://en.montrealalouettes.com/2020/10/02/jeshrun-antwi-underdog-big-heart/ |title=Jeshrun Antwi, the underdog with a big heart |publisher=Montreal Alouettes |date=October 2, 2020}} He moved to Calgary with his mother, Ama Kesewaa, when he was 12 years old and began playing gridiron football when he was 14.{{cite web |url=https://werklund.ucalgary.ca/news/class-2020-football-star-balances-education-athletics-achieve-dream-helping-low-income-students |title=Class of 2020: Football star balances education with athletics to achieve dream of helping low-income students |publisher=University of Calgary |date=June 22, 2020}}
University career
Antwi played U Sports football for the Calgary Dinos from 2015 to 2019.{{cite web|url=https://godinos.com/sports/football/roster/jeshrun-antwi/9504 |title=Jeshrun Antwi |publisher=Calgary Dinos |access-date=February 6, 2022}} In 2016, he notably had 122 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in the Hardy Cup victory over the UBC Thunderbirds.{{cite web |url=https://presto-en.usports.ca/sports/fball/championship/2016/postseason-boxscores/20161112_0qsd.xml |title=UBC at Calgary |publisher=U Sports |date=November 12, 2016}} He then played in his first Vanier Cup game in the 52nd Vanier Cup, where he had 25 carries for 177 yards, but the Dinos lost to the Laval Rouge et Or by a score of 31 to 26.{{cite web |url=https://presto-en.usports.ca/sports/fball/2016-17/postseason/boxscores/20161126_jpd3.xml |title=Laval at Calgary |publisher=U Sports |date=November 26, 2016}} In his fifth year with the team, the Dinos returned to the Vanier Cup, but Antwi did not play due to injury. The Dinos defeated the Montreal Carabins 27 to 13 in the 55th Vanier Cup as Antwi finished his university career as a national champion.
Professional career
= Montreal Alouettes =
After becoming eligible for the 2019 CFL Draft, Antwi was drafted in the sixth round, 48th overall, by the Montreal Alouettes and signed with the team on May 6, 2019.{{cite web |url=https://en.montrealalouettes.com/2019/05/03/alouettes-load-national-talent/ |title=Alouettes load up on national talent |publisher=Montreal Alouettes |date=May 3, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2019/ |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 6, 2022}} He played in both preseason games with the team in 2019, but elected to return to school following training camp.
After completing his university playing eligibility, Antwi re-signed with the Alouettes on November 28, 2019. However, the 2020 CFL season was cancelled and he did not play in 2020. After making the team following training camp in 2021, he played in his first professional game on August 14, 2021, against the Edmonton Elks, where he had four carries for 13 yards.{{cite web|url=https://en.montrealalouettes.com/players/jeshrun-antwi/164906/ |title=Jeshrun Antwi |publisher=Montreal Alouettes |access-date=November 26, 2022}} He played in all 14 regular season games where he had 36 rush attempts for 176 yards and six receptions for 46 yards. He had a career-high 13 carries for 69 yards in the regular season finale, but also had two costly fumbles as the Alouettes lost to the Ottawa Redblacks.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/6193/ottawa-redblacks-vs-montreal-alouettes/ |title=Redblacks storm back to stun Als in season finale |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=November 19, 2021}} He signed a two-year contract extension with the Alouettes on January 31, 2022.{{cite web |url=https://en.montrealalouettes.com/2022/01/31/jeshrun-antwi-remains-alouettes/ |title=Jeshrun Antwi remains with the Alouettes |publisher=Montreal Alouettes |date=January 31, 2022}}
In 2022, Antwi began the season as the backup running back, but was thrust into the starting role following an injury to William Stanback in the first game of the season.{{cite web |url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/football/cfl/montreal-alouettes/inside-the-cfl-alouettes-canadian-rusher-jeshrun-antwi-bucks-trend |title=Inside the CFL: Alouettes' Canadian rusher Jeshrun Antwi bucks trend |publisher=Montreal Gazette |date=September 23, 2022}} He started six of the next seven games where he had 48 carries for 255 yards and 11 catches for 78 yards before relinquishing the starting role to Tavien Feaster and then Walter Fletcher.{{cite web |url=https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022_CFL_Gm_Notes_93_EF_Tor_vs_Mtl.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115172712/https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022_CFL_Gm_Notes_93_EF_Tor_vs_Mtl.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 15, 2022 |title=2022 Game Notes |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=November 3, 2022 }} Antwi finished the year as the team's leading rusher with 106 carries for 600 yards and also had 30 receptions for 200 yards.
Antwi returned to the Alouettes in 2023 as the backup running back where he played in all 18 regular season games and had 39 carries for 229 yards and one touchdown along with 11 receptions for 75 yards and eight special teams tackles.{{cite web |url=https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-CFL-Guide-Book.pdf |title=2024 CFL Guide |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=October 2, 2024}} He scored his first career touchdown on August 11, 2024, against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on a 19-yard run.{{cite web |url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/6342/montreal-alouettes-vs-saskatchewan-roughriders/ |title=Montreal Alouettes vs Saskatchewan Roughriders |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=October 2, 2024}} Antwi also gained notoriety for successfully executing a dribble kick on September 30, 2024, against the Ottawa Redblacks when he punted one yard across the line of scrimmage and turned second-and-18 into a first down.{{cite web |url=https://www.cfl.ca/2023/10/05/morris-how-antwi-als-pulled-off-dribble-punt/ |title=Morris: How Antwi, Als pulled off dribble punt |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=October 5, 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://thecomeback.com/international/cfl-onside-punt-montreal-alouettes-jeshrun-antwi.html |title=World reacts to brilliant onside punt strategy |publisher=thecomeback.com |date=October 29, 2023}} He played in all three post-season games that year, including in his first Grey Cup game. He recorded one reception for three yards in the Alouettes' 28–24 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 110th Grey Cup championship.
In 2024, Antwi was the primary backup running back behind Walter Fletcher, but saw fewer touches, as he played in 15 regular season games and recorded ten carries for 20 yards and five receptions for 21 yards.
= BC Lions =
On October 2, 2024, on the day of the trade deadline, Antwi was traded to the BC Lions in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 CFL draft.{{Cite web |title=Lions Acquire Running Back Jeshrun Antwi From Montreal |url=https://www.bclions.com/2024/10/02/lions-acquire-running-back-jeshrun-antwi-from-montreal/ |date=October 2, 2024 |publisher=BC Lions |language=en}}
= Calgary Stampeders =
As a free agent from the Lions, Anwti signed with the Calgary Stampeders on February 11, 2025.{{Cite web |title=Official 2025 Free Agent Tracker |url=https://www.cfl.ca/fa25/#LIONS |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=CFL.ca |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.stampeders.com/players/jeshrun-antwi/164906/ Calgary Stampeders bio]
- {{commonscatinline}}
{{Calgary Stampeders roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Antwi, Jeshrun}}
Category:Calgary Stampeders players
Category:Canadian football running backs
Category:Calgary Dinos football players
Category:Ghanaian players of Canadian football
Category:Montreal Alouettes players
Category:Players of Canadian football from Alberta