A quartet of Bears heard their names called on Tuesday night, as Tyshon Blackburn (DB), Matthew Peterson (RB), Jonathan Giustini (DB/K) and Daniel Shin (OL) were selected in the 2024 Canadian Football League Draft. 

Blackburn was the first Bear going off the board, as he was selected 27th overall by the Toronto Argonauts. Peterson followed shortly after, going 36th to Hamilton, before Giustini was also selected by the Tiger-Cats 52nd overall. Shin rounded out the group, going to Toronto 72nd overall. 

Blackburn, a 2021 Canada West All-Star and U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian, started all 10 gamed for the Bears at halfback in 2023. The Calgary product recorded 21 tackles, three pass breakups, and one interception. He is the first Bear to be selected by Toronto since Heinz Brademan in 1974. 

Peterson was the 2023 Canada West Player of the Year after leading the conference with 1,142 rush yards, the second highest rush total in the entire nation. The Brooks, Alberta product finished with an absurd 9.6 yards per carry in 2023, adding four rushing touchdowns for the 6-2 Golden Bears. Peterson also added 11 receptions for 157 yards, leading the conference with 1,297 all-purpose yards.

Giustini was the Bears starting safety and placekicker for the last two seasons. As a kicker, Giustini set Golden Bears program records for career points (270) and field goals made (58) in 2023, along with field goals in a season (22). On defence, Giustini was named a 2023 Canada West All-Star and second team U SPORTS All-Canadian after recording 32 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and a team-leading four interceptions. 

Shin started 26 games at centre for the Golden Bears over the past four seasons, including nine this past fall. The fourth-year Bear was named both a CW All-Star, and first team U SPORTS All-Canadian in 2023, anchoring an offensive line that led the Bears to the best rushing offence in the conference. 

Since taking over as head coach of the Bears prior to the 2013 season, Chris Morris has now seen 20 Bears drafted, including seven over the past two drafts alone.

Golden Bears/CFL Draft - By the Numbers

Largest Alberta Draft Classes

* - Since 1985
7 – 1985
4 – 1996, 2022, 2024
3 – 1986, 1993, 2023
2 – 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2018
 

Golden Bears by drafted CFL Franchise

* - Since 1963
Edmonton – 74
Saskatchewan – 23
Calgary – 21
Montreal – 13
BC – 12
Winnipeg – 9
Ottawa – 7
Hamilton – 8
Toronto – 3

Recent Golden Bears football draft history

YEAR	ROUND	OVERALL	TEAM	NAME	POS
2017	7	62	Ottawa	Ed Ilnicki	RB
2017	8	68	Winnipeg	Tylor Henry	REC
2018	1	4	Ottawa	Mark Korte	OL
2018	5	39	Calgary	Justin Lawrence	OL
2019	5	42	BC	Jon Harke	OL
2020	3	22	Montreal	Carter O'Donnell	OL
2021	1	5	Edmonton	Cole Nelson	DL
2022	2	14	Calgary	Josiah Schakel	LB
2022	2	18	Montreal	Rodeem Brown	OL
2022	6	51	Montreal	Peter Kozushka	OL
2022	6	54	Saskatchewan	Jayden Dalke	DB
2023	2	19	Edmonton	Jake Taylor	LB
2023	3	22	Calgary	Kwadwo Boahen	DL
2023	7	62	Winnipeg	Jonathan Rosery	REC
2024	3	27	Toronto	Tyshon Blackburn	DB
2024	4	36	Hamilton	Matthew Peterson	RB
2024	6	52	Hamilton	Jonathan Giustini	DB/K
2024	8	72	Toronto	Daniel Shin	OL