The quality of football players from Europe is gaining increasing attention. The BC Lions in the Canadian Football League have announced that Geraldo Boldewijn from Holland will start this Friday against the Calgary Stampeders. This will be Boldewijn’s first action since playing in the final regular season game of 2015 against the same Stampeders where he caught three passes for 64 yards.
The 6′ 4″, 220 lb Amsterdam, Holland native was first introduced to football playing with the Amsterdam Panthers organization before heading off to the United States for his senior year of high school. After finishing, he attended Boise State where he studied general business. One of his favorite football memories was winning the Fiesta Bowl against TCU in 2010. In his four years at Boise State, he caught 87 passes for 1,151 yards and six touchdowns.
He was picked up by the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL as a free agent and played in the preseason in 2014 but suffered a hamstring injury and was released.
He signed with the Lions in 2015 and remained on practice roster until his appearance against Calgary. He re-signed with BC in February but has been hampered by a hamstring injury and a stomach virus during training camp which kept him out of the lineup until now.
In speaking with the B.C. Lions Matt Baker he said was definitely excited about his 2016 debut:
“That’s the most exciting part about it, just being able to get on the field and show everybody what I can do out there. I’m very excited. Watching the games from home, it’s been fun watching those guys make plays. Now I finally get a piece of that too. I can’t wait to just be out there and celebrate with my teammates in the end zone.”
B.C. Lions head coach Wally Buono had this to say to Baker about Boldewijn:
“He proved last year he could make plays. His wingspan is such that if you put the ball around him, he’s going to go up and get it. He’s been working for the last couple of weeks, he has a good sense of what’s going on and I know the quarterbacks are comfortable with him.”