Courtesy Regina Leader Post:

Jonathan St-Pierre isn’t getting too caught up in being the 10th overall selection by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL draft.

That’s because St-Pierre knows it won’t be until 2009 before he’s eligible to join the CFL team. St-Pierre, a 6-foot-3 and 305-pound centre, has another season of NCAA eligibility with the Illinois State University Redbirds.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited about being drafted,” St-Pierre said Wednesday from his home in Normal, Ill. “It was fun to be drafted but it’s way down the road for me. It still hasn’t really hit me. Maybe that will happen after the season when I can think about playing professional. I will probably get more excited then than I am right now.”

St-Pierre has been pre-occupied with his studies during the draft. He earned a bachelor degree in economics in May of 2007. He is currently pursuing a masters degree in economics. St-Pierre is also heading to the University of Miami where he started his NCAA career in 2004, to complete his business degree.

In fact, St-Pierre was conducting a presentation during the April 30 CFL draft. He was informed that he had been selected by the Roughriders through text messages from his friends.

“I couldn’t do much then but I was pretty happy,” St-Pierre said.

The Riders were also pleased that St-Pierre was available. Jeremy O’Day, 34, is heading into 10th season with the Roughriders and 12th overall. The Riders hope to move St-Pierre into the centre spot when O’Day retires.

“We feel that we got a guy who can be an all-star centre in time,” Eric Tillman, the Riders’ general manager, said of St-Pierre. “This is not a projection. (St-Pierre) is the real deal. Had he come out this year, there would have been a compelling case for him being first overall.”

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