Lirim Hajrullahu ( ; born April 24, 1990) is a
Kosovar-born
Canadian placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter.
Spe ...
who is a free agent. He became a
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 with the
Toronto Argonauts after kicking the game-winning field goal in 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 ...
game (2017) and is a two-time
Canadian Football League East Division All-Star (2016, 2019). Hajrullahu 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 ...
at
Western Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It occupies most of the Ontario Peninsula bounded by Lake Huron, including Georgian Bay, to the north and northwest; the St. Clair River, Lake St. ...
and attended
Governor Simcoe Secondary School
Governor Simcoe Secondary School named after John Graves Simcoe, is a public high school in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is a three-floored school with a theatre attachment. It has an enrollment of about 859 students.
Its campus contai ...
in
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2016, it has an area of , 136,803 residents, and a metropolitan population of 406,074. It lies in Southern Ontari ...
.
Early life
Lirim Hajrullahu was born in
Gjilan
Gjilan, or Gnjilane ( sr-cyr, Гњилане) is the eighth largest city in Kosovo and seat of Gjilan Municipality and Gjilan District.
Name
Ottoman chronicler Evliya Çelebi mentions ''Morava'' as a settlement of the Sanjak of Vučitrn. ...
to father Nijazi Hajrullahu and mother Tevide.
He is of
Kosovo Albanian descent.
His father had been a professor at the
University of Sarajevo.
Lirim is a middle child,
and has an older sister Lume and a younger sister Linda.
As a child growing up in Gjilan, he would play soccer during and after school, which is where he learned to kick.
He went to
Governor Simcoe Secondary School
Governor Simcoe Secondary School named after John Graves Simcoe, is a public high school in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is a three-floored school with a theatre attachment. It has an enrollment of about 859 students.
Its campus contai ...
in
St. Catharines
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2016, it has an area of , 136,803 residents, and a metropolitan population of 406,074. It lies in Southern Ontario ...
and graduated in 2009.
On May 27, 1999, they immigrated to Canada. They landed in
CFB Trenton and spent two weeks at the base before moving to
Kingston, Ontario where they spent two months of their summer.
They received classes on the English language, and Hajrullahu received a bicycle through donations.
Due to the lack of soccer infrastructure in his town, he also picked up playing
basketball and
volleyball.
Hajrullahu credits sports as "a gateway to communicate with other Canadians" which helped him learn English.
He had friends trying out for the
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team in grade 9,
while Hajrullahu took up soccer. In the school hallways, he caught the attention of football coach D’Arcy McCardle who "was struck by the student's big frame and thick legs."
McCardle approached him to play on the football team but Harjullahu felt the sport was too dangerous and brushed him off. After a year of insistence, McCardle told him to try out on the first day of school in grade 10 and if Hajrullahu didn't like it then he wouldn't bother him again.
"I went out for one practice and I fell in love with the game," explained Hajrullahu.
He played
right tackle when he was in grade 11, and played as a
linebacker,
offensive 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 ...
and
kicker in grade 12.
Hajrullahu attended the
University of Western Ontario's School of
Kinesiology, receiving his
bachelor's degree in sports management in 2013 and his
master's degree in management and leadership in 2015. He attended
Niagara University – Ontario where he received his
MBA in finance in 2017.
Collegiate career
Western Mustangs
Hajrullahu's
secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
football coach D’Arcy McCardle mentioned him to
Western Mustangs football coach
Greg Marshall during the recruiting process when the two discussed kickers.
Hajrullahu received scholarship opportunities from across Canada and narrowed his choice down between Western and
Queen's University Queen's or Queens University may refer to:
*Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada
*Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
**Queen's University of Belfast (UK Parliament constituency) (1918–1950)
**Queen's University of Belfast ...
, choosing the former.
He credits his kicking talents from persistently kicking the ball, stating "In university, I'd kick from after school until after you couldn't see the light anymore, three or four hours. As a young
punter and kicker, you have to develop power and
muscle memory."
National team
In 2009, Hajrullahu was selected as part of the
Canada national junior football team, which competed at the
2009 IFAF Junior World Championship in
Canton, Ohio
Canton () is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio. It is located approximately south of Cleveland and south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes and ...
. Canada beat New Zealand on June 27 to advance to the semi-finals, and beat Japan on July 1 to reach the finals. Canada secured the silver medal after losing to the United States on July 5.
In 2011, Hajrullahu was selected as part of the
Canada national football team, which competed at the
2011 IFAF World Championship
The 2011 IFAF World Championship was the fourth instance of the IFAF World Championship, an international American football tournament. It began on July 8, 2011 with the final games commencing on July 16. It was hosted by Austria, with games takin ...
in
Austria. Canada won the Group 2
round-robin stage after beating France on July 9, Austria on July 11, and Japan on July 13 to advance to the finals. Canada secured the silver medal after losing to the United States on July 16.
Professional career
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
On January 17, 2014, Hajrullahu was signed by the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the
Canadian Football League (CFL). On November 5, Hajrullahu was announced as the winner of the Winnipeg Blue Bomber's Most Outstanding Canadian, Most Outstanding Special Teams, and Most Outstanding Rookie awards. On November 13, he won the West Division's
Most Outstanding Special Teams Award.
Toronto Argonauts
Hajrullahu became a
free agent on February 9, 2016 and signed with the
Toronto Argonauts that same day.
In the
2016 season, he became the first player to score points in the first regular-season CFL game at
BMO Field on June 23. He scored the first CFL points for both a visiting team and the Argonauts. He conceded a
safety to the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...
, then later kicked a
field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
for the Argos. Hamilton won the game, 40–23. On November 2, Hajrullahu was announced as the winner of the Toronto Argonaut's Most Outstanding Canadian and Most Outstanding Special Teams awards. On November 9, Hajrullahu was named as part of the East Division's All-Star team.
On January 11, 2017, Hajrullahu signed a contract extension with the team for the
2017 season. On November 27, Hajrullahu kicked the game-winning field goal to secure a win in 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 ...
for Toronto at
TD Place Stadium. He had gone into the championship game mourning the death of his younger cousin who had died in a car crash in Kosovo in the days leading up to Hajrullahu's big game.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
On February 13, 2018, Hajrullahu signed a contract with the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...
.
During the
2018 season, Hajrullahu converted 85% of his field goals, while the Ti-Cats advanced in the playoffs to the East final before being eliminated. Despite receiving NFL interest, including a workout with the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
, Hajrullahu took his time in choosing a team for 2019; he eventually signed a 2-year contract to return to Hamilton after six weeks of free agency.
On November 6, 2019, Hajrullahu was named as part of the East Division's All-Star team. While he would have been in the option year of his contract following the 2019 season, the NFL would not allow its teams to sign CFL players entering these option years. After there was still no resolution to this issue, the Tiger-Cats released Hajrullahu on January 9, 2020, to allow him to pursue NFL opportunities.
Los Angeles Rams
On April 13, 2020, Hajrullahu signed a contract with the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
of the
National Football League (NFL). It was exactly a day short of 21 years, when on April 14, 1999, Hajrullahu and his family were forced out of their village due to the Kosovo War.
Hajrullahu received interest from five teams at the NFL combine in March in
Arizona, which he had been attending every year since his days playing for Winnipeg.
He was waived on September 4, 2020, after losing the kicker job to rookie
Sam Sloman. Although there was no preseason and training camp practices were closed to the general public because of the
COVID-19 pandemic, it was reported that he "was the victim of NFL politics", despite Hajrullahu having been the best statistical kicker during practices, with Sloman sharing the same
alma mater (
Miami University), as Rams head coach
Sean McVay.
In November 2020, Hajrullahu signed with the Generals of
The Spring League (TSL) and played in their inaugural
fall season.
Carolina Panthers
On December 9, 2020, Hajrullahu was signed to the
Carolina Panthers' practice squad, but was released six days later due to a
work visa problem. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Panthers on January 4, 2021. He was waived on March 22.
Hajrullahu returned to the Generals for The Spring League's
2021 season. On May 8, he went 5-for-5 in field goals in the first game, including the longest field goal of his career at 59 yards. It was the TSL's television debut on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelv ...
,
and Hajrullahu set a new league record for longest field goal, tied the single-game record for fields goals, and was named the South Division Player of the Week.
Dallas Cowboys
On August 18, 2021, Hajrullahu signed with the
Dallas Cowboys after the team released punter and emergency kicker
Hunter Niswander
James Hunter Niswander (born November 26, 1994) is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Northwestern University.
Early years
Niswander attended Woodridge High School. As a freshman, he made a ...
, who had been filling in at placekicker for an injured
Greg Zuerlein
Gregory Zuerlein ; (born December 27, 1987) is an American football placekicker for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, he played college football at Nebraska-Omaha and Missouri Western. He ...
. He spent five days in training camp and was released on August 24, 2021. He was re-signed to the practice squad on September 14. He was released from the practice squad on September 21.
He was re-signed on November 10. In Week 10, he replaced Zuerlein, after he tested positive for
COVID-19, making all five of his extra points and did not attempt a single field goal against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
. He was released on November 23.
Washington Football Team
On December 11, 2021, Hajrullahu was signed to the
Washington Football Team's practice squad.
Carolina Panthers (second stint)
On December 22, following the injury of
Zane Gonzalez
Holden Fortunato Gonzalez (born May 7, 1995) is an American football placekicker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona State University and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in ...
in pre-game warmups in Week 15, the Panthers signed Hajrullahu off Washington's practice squad. He played in the last 3 games of the season, making 4 of 5 field goal attempts and 3 of 3 extra point attempts. He was waived on May 4, 2022.
Dallas Cowboys (second stint)
On July 1, 2022, he was signed by the
Dallas Cowboys to compete for the starting job with rookie Jonathan Garibay. On August 9, 2022, Garibay was waived and the Cowboys signed free agent
Brett Maher to compete with Hajrullahu. On August 23, 2022, he was released after losing the kicking battle to Maher.
Personal life
Hajrullahu is married to Deniza Januzi.
The couple met while attending university,
and married in 2017.
Deniza emigrated to Canada from Kosovo escaping war under similar circumstances as her husband. She graduated from the
Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, receiving her undergraduate degree in Honours Business Administration and afterwards a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Laurier University.
References
External links
Toronto Argonauts bioWinnipeg Blue Bombers profileWestern Mustangs profileCFL Stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hajrullahu, Lirim
1990 births
Living people
People from Gjilan
Sportspeople from St. Catharines
Canadian football placekickers
Yugoslav emigrants to Canada
Canadian people of Kosovan descent
Kosovan expatriates in Canada
Kosovan players of Canadian football
Players of Canadian football from Ontario
Toronto Argonauts players
Hamilton Tiger-Cats players
Western Mustangs football players
Winnipeg Blue Bombers players
The Spring League players
Carolina Panthers players
Dallas Cowboys players
Washington Football Team players
Canadian players of American football