Ottawa’s Akheem Mesidor selected in 1st round of NFL draft

CTV’s Jackie Perez speaks with prospect Akheem Mesidor at Med Supper Club in Ottawa ahead of Thursday night’s NFL draft.

Ottawa’s Akheem Mesidor will begin his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Mesidor was selected with the 22^nd pick in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night.

“I’m ready to go out there and compete as a Charger,” Mesidor told TSN shortly after being selected.

The 25-year-old played last season at the University of Miami, where he registered 12.5 sacks and 63 tackles for the Hurricanes.

Mesidor was joined by family and friends at Med Supper Club at Lansdowne to watch the NFL draft.

“I was kind of stressed, I guess, nervous, but really I was just waiting for a team to give me an opportunity,” Mesidor said.

The six-foot-three, 265-pound Mesidor is the sixth Canadian-born player to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft and the first defensive player selected in round one.

“He’s been consistently good, too, if you go back to West Virginia and all the way to the national championship game,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters. “He’s a worker. He’s going to come right in and fit into our culture, our team.”

During a virtual call with the media, Mesidor said, “I can’t wait to get there and move all my stuff out to the West Coast.”

“I’m mature, I have the football IQ and then when it comes to on the field, I got the motor, the relentless effort and the athletic ability to rush the passer and set an edge,” he told reporters. ”So I’m coming in ready to play.”

Mesidor was asked what it was like to be surrounded by family and former teammates from the North Gloucester Giants for the draft.

“I was one of them kids 10 years ago, so just being able to have them be in that room, for them to know it’s possible for them to be in the same shoes, do better than I did, is amazing,” Mesidor told TSN.

Ottawa’s Neville Gallimore has played six seasons in the NFL and recently signed a two-year contract to play with the Chicago Bears.

Gallimore was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2020 NFL draft.

With files from The Associated Press and the Canadian Press

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App