Former Lake City High star Louie-McGee signs to play in CFL
Courtesy University of Montana sports information Former Lake City High School and University of Montana standout Jerry Louie-McGee has signed a contract to play for Edmonton in the Canadian Football League during its 2021 season.
From news services
Montana's record-breaking wide receiver Jerry Louie-McGee has officially signed to play professionally for the Edmonton Football Team of the Canadian Football League, the club announced Monday.
After being named to the team's negotiation list in September, Louie-McGee, one of the greatest receivers in UM history, signed a contract before Christmas, with the club announcing him as one of three new American signees Monday.
Louie-McGee, a 2015 Lake City High grad, became Montana's all-time leader in pass receptions as a senior, finishing his storied career with 230 catches for 2,277 yards to break Raul Pacheco's 1998 record of 192 career catches.
He holds a Montana, Big Sky, and FCS freshman record with 21 catches in a single game, set against Cal Poly in 2016, and holds the school record for average receptions per game in a season with 9.1, also set in 2016.
Equally as dangerous in the return game as he was receiving, Louie-McGee is tied for the most punt returns for a TD in school history with three and is one of Montana's top-10 all-time leaders in all-purpose yards with 3,685 on his career.
His senior season he was one of two unanimous All-Big Sky first-team selections for the Griz as a punt returner. He led the league in punt return yards by more than 8 yards per attempt with a 17.1 yards per return average — the fourth-most in the FCS.
He was a second-team all-conference punt returner as a junior and an honorable mention as a receiver, and received all-conference honorable mentions as a returner and receiver as a sophomore. In his breakout freshman year, he was a finalist for the STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award, given annually to the nation's top freshman.
Edmonton, whose general manager is former Grizzly Brock Sunderland, signed two other American players along with Louie-McGee, both former Miami Hurricanes — defensive lineman James Folston and linebacker Mike Smith (LB).
Louie-McGee becomes the second Grizzly to sign a CFL contract since the Grizzlies advanced to the FCS quarterfinals in 2019. He joins quarterback Dalton Sneed, who signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in March.
The 2021 CFL season is slated to begin in June. The league did not play in 2020 due to COVID-19.