Calgary Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel is pleased to announce that non-import defensive lineman Osie Ukwuoma and non-import linebacker Mike Cornell have signed contracts with the club. As per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed. "We're very happy to be bringing both of these young Canadian players to camp in June," said Hufnagel. "Osie came to camp last year after we drafted him in the fifth round and he definitely held his own. Then he went back to school, had a great season with Queen's and won a national championship, so we were pleased with his progress and we're excited about seeing him back here. "Mike also had a very productive university career at Ottawa and he ranked quite high on our draft board in 2009. We expect him to be in the mix at middle linebacker when we go to camp." Ukwuoma was a fifth-round pick of the Stampeders in 2009. He attended training camp with Calgary and spent five weeks on the practice roster before returning to Queen's and played a key role in the Golden Gaels' capturing of the 2009 Vanier Cup. Ukwuoma totaled 15.5 tackles and two sacks in 2009 and was a first-team all-conference and all-Canadian player in both 2008 and 2009. Cornell spent five seasons at the University of Ottawa and was a second-team Ontario University Athletics all-star in 2009 after registering 36.5 tackles, including five tackles for loss, and four sacks. He led the OUA in 2008 with 53.5 tackles and was named Ottawa's defensive player of the year.
