Valentin Gnahoua (born September 29, 1994) is a
French professional
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
for 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 ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL). He was the first overall pick by the Tiger-Cats in the
2019 European CFL Draft
The 2019 CFL European Draft took place on April 11, 2019. Nine players were chosen from a pool of 18 European players who attended the 2019 CFL Combine.
Background
In October 2018, Canadian Football League (CFL) commissioner Randy Ambrosie outlin ...
. Gnahoua has also been a member of the
Berlin Rebels
The Berlin Rebels are an American football team from Berlin, Germany.
The team is playing in the German Football League, the highest level of American football in Germany. In the most recent seasons the Rebels managed to qualify for the play-offs ...
and
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
.
Early years
Gnahoua began playing
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
in 2011, joining a local semi-pro team, the ''Caimans du Mans'', as a sixteen-year old.
He was drawn to the sport after watching a
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
game on television earlier that year.
In 2016, he arrived in Canada, playing one season of collegiate football for the
McGill Redmen
The McGill Redbirds (formerly the McGill Redmen) and McGill Martlets are the varsity athletic teams that represent McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Team name
According to Suzanne Morton, a professor of history at McGill, the name ...
before a sudden increase in international student tuition forced him to return to France.
Professional career
Berlin Rebels
He rejoined the Caimans in 2017, playing well enough early on in the campaign to get signed by the
Berlin Rebels
The Berlin Rebels are an American football team from Berlin, Germany.
The team is playing in the German Football League, the highest level of American football in Germany. In the most recent seasons the Rebels managed to qualify for the play-offs ...
of the
German Football League
The German Football League (GFL) is an American football league in Germany and was formed in 1979. Playing rules are based on those of the American National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA. In 1999, the league switched its name from ''Ameri ...
(GFL) midway through the
2017 GFL season. He recorded 47 tackles and nine sacks during his two seasons with the Rebels.
[
]
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
In 2019, he was announced as one of the 18 European players invited to the 2019 CFL Combine in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. The following month, in April, he was selected by 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 ...
as the first overall pick in the inaugural European CFL draft, part of commissioner Randy Ambrosie
Randy Ambrosie (born March 16, 1963) is the 14th and current commissioner of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Ambrosie played Canadian football professionally as an offensive guard for the CFL's Calgary Stampeders, Toronto Argonauts, and Edmo ...
's initiative to grow the league's presence internationally. He began the season as a member of the practice squad, but made his debut during their week 9 matchup against the BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place.
The Lions played their first season ...
on August 10, recovering an onside kick that led to a second-quarter field goal in the 35-34 victory.
Gnahoua signed a contract extension with the Tiger-Cats on December 29, 2020. He was placed on the suspended list on July 19, 2021, but was later activated and played in the first regular season game of 2021. He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 14, 2023.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
On February 17, 2023, it was announced that Gnahoua had signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
. He was released during training camp.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
On July 10, 2023 re-signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Personal life
His father was a professional association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
(soccer) player who was a member of the Ivory Coast national football team
The Ivory Coast national football team ( French: ''Équipe de football de Côte d'Ivoire'', recognized as the Côte d'Ivoire by FIFA) represents Ivory Coast in men's international football. Nicknamed ''the Elephants'', the team is managed by ...
and played professionally in France, where Valentin was born.[
]
References
External links
Saskatchewan Roughriders bio
McGill Redmen bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gnahoua, Valentin
Living people
1994 births
French players of American football
French players of Canadian football
French sportspeople of Ivorian descent
American football defensive linemen
Canadian football defensive linemen
McGill Redbirds football players
German Football League players
Hamilton Tiger-Cats players
French expatriate sportspeople in Canada
French expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Sportspeople from Le Mans
World Games gold medalists for France
Black French sportspeople
Saskatchewan Roughriders players
Medalists at the 2017 World Games