Cleyon Laing (born November 21, 1990) is a professional Canadian football

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected ninth overall by the Toronto Argonauts in the

2012 CFL Draft The 2012 CFL Draft took place on Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 3:00 PM ET on TSN. 45 players were chosen from among eligible players from Canadian Universities across the country, as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA. The Calgary Stampeders ...

. Laing is a four-time CFL East Division All-Star and is a two-time

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

champion, having won with Ottawa in

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

and then with Toronto in

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

with the Iowa State Cyclones.

Professional career

Toronto Argonauts

Laing was selected ninth overall in the

by the Toronto Argonauts, but finished his college eligibility before signing with the team on May 15, 2013. He played for the Argonauts for three seasons finishing his stint with 72 tackles, 16 sacks, two forced fumbles and a safety. After his strong performance in the CFL, including CFL East All-Star honours in 2015, Laing drew the attention of NFL teams.

Miami Dolphins

On February 29, 2016, Laing was signed by the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. On September 3, 2016, he was released by the Dolphins as part of final roster cuts. The next day he was signed to the Dolphins' practice squad. He was released on October 31, 2016.

Ottawa Redblacks

Only three days after his release from the Dolphins practice roster, he was signed by the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League; just days before their final game of the regular season. Laing appeared in one regular season game with the Redblacks, as well as two post season games which included their Grey Cup victory over the Calgary Stampeders.

Toronto Argonauts (II)

On April 29, 2017, Laing signed with the Toronto Argonauts. Despite missing time with an injury, Laing recorded five sacks and a forced fumble during 11 regular season games played in 2017, and was named a CFL East All-Star for the second time. During the playoffs, Laing recorded the first sack of the

105th Grey Cup The 105th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 2017, between the Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. In a re-match of the 100th Grey Cup, the Argonauts won the game 27–24, winning their 17th cham ...

as part of a 27–24 Argonauts victory over Calgary. It was his second consecutive Grey Cup championship. Laing signed a two-year extension with Toronto the following January, and had a quick start to the 2018 season with three sacks in the first four games. Although the Argos missed the playoffs with a 4–14 record, Laing played in all 18 games, racking up 44 tackles and six sacks, and was named to his third CFL East All-Star team. Laing was also the team nominee for the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player award. The 2019 season was similar for both Laing and the team; the team played poorly to start the year and missed the playoffs. Meanwhile, Laing, who had another effective stretch of early season games in which he earned four sacks over three outings, won the Toronto award for Most Outstanding Defensive Player for the second consecutive year; he was additionally named Toronto's Most Outstanding Canadian Player. Laing was also named to his third consecutive Eastern All-Star team, the only member of Toronto's defense to be so honored.

Ottawa Redblacks (II)

Upon entering free agency, Laing signed a three-year contract with the Ottawa Redblacks on February 11, 2020. Ottawa restructured the deal with Laing for 2021 following a cancelled 2020 season, a shortened season where Laing played 13 out of 14 possible games, putting up 25 tackles and 3 sacks.

Personal life

Laing's biological older brother is Canadian actor and model

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman (born October 21, 1984) is a Canadian actor, model, and television personality. He is known for appearances in films and television, most notably as Jay in the Lifetime dark comedy- drama series '' Unreal'' (2015–2018) a ...

. His biological father is of Jamaican descent.

References

External links

Ottawa Redblacks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laing, Cleyon 1990 births Canadian football defensive linemen American football defensive linemen Canadian players of American football Iowa State Cyclones football players Living people Players of Canadian football from Alberta Canadian football people from Edmonton Canadian people of Jamaican descent Toronto Argonauts players Miami Dolphins players Ottawa Redblacks players Black Canadian players of American football