 Brissett with theToronto Argonauts in 2024 | |
| No. 18 – Toronto Argonauts | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Roster status | Active |
| CFL status | National |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1996-07-09)July 9, 1996 (age 29) Mississauga,Ontario, Canada |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Loyola Catholic Secondary School (Mississauga,Ontario) Lake Forest Academy (Lake Forest, Illinois) Hazel McCallion Senior Public School (Mississauga,Ontario) |
| College | |
| CFL draft | 2020: 1st round, 2nd overall pick |
| Career history | |
| 2021–present | Toronto Argonauts |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at CFL.ca | |
Dejon Brissett (born July 9, 1996)[1] is a Canadian professionalfootballwide receiver for theToronto Argonauts of theCanadian Football League (CFL). He is a two-timeGrey Cup champion after winning with the Argonauts in2022 and2024. He playedcollege football for theRichmond Spiders and theVirginia Cavaliers.
Brissett is a native ofMississauga, Ontario, and primarily played basketball growing up before turning his attention to football.[2] He transferred toLake Forest Academy in Illinois for his sophomore year, where he played basketball, football, and track. His 46-3 triple jump was the best in 2015 by more than a foot. On the football field, he played wide receiver, defense, and special teams. Brissett ran a 4.59 40-yard dash, has a vertical leap of 35 inches, and was named theChicago Catholic League Red Division's Offensive Player of the Year.[3]
Brissett began his collegiate career atRichmond. He made five catches for 66 yards as a sophomore in 2016. In the second game of his junior season, Brissett made 12 receptions for 159 yards in a 20–17 win atColgate.[4] As a junior in 2017, he made 63 receptions for 896 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 81.5 receiving yards per game.[5] Brissett was named to the First Team All-Colonial Athletic Association.[6] In 2018, he made 16 receptions for 299 yards and a touchdown, averaging 99.7 yards per game. His season was cut short after three games after an ankle injury that he suffered on September 13 againstSaint Francis (PA).[7] During his Richmond career, Brissett recorded 86 receptions for 1,282 yards and nine touchdowns and returned 41 kicks for 941 yards and one touchdown.[6] Brissett applied for a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA, and after receiving it decided to transfer toVirginia for his final season of eligibility, despite initially saying he was going to play atIllinois.[7] He was sparingly used by the Cavaliers, playing in 12 of 14 games and contributing two receptions for 18 yards in the season.[5]
Brissett was drafted second overall in the2020 CFL draft by theToronto Argonauts, who finished with a 4–14 record in 2019.[5] He was the fourth Cavalier drafted in the CFL Draft since 2012 and first sinceTrent Corney was taken in 2016 by theWinnipeg Blue Bombers.[6] Brissett did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the2020 CFL season and officially signed with the Argonauts on May 5, 2021.[8] Following training camp, he made the team's active roster and played in his first professional game on August 7, 2021, against theCalgary Stampeders.[9] He later scored his first career touchdown on October 6, 2021, against theOttawa Redblacks when he returned a blocked punt 23 yards for the major.[10] Brissett played in all 14 regular season games in2021, making five starts, where he had nine catches for 131 yards, three defensive tackles, one special teams tackle, and one fumble recovery touchdown.[9][10] He also made his post-season debut in the team's East Final loss to theHamilton Tiger-Cats, but did not record any statistics.[9]
In2022, Brissett played in 15 regular season games, starting in one, where he had ten catches for 102 yards and one touchdown.[9] He also featured more prominently on special teams where he had six special teams tackles, three kick returns for 44 yards, and four punt returns for 28 yards.[9] He played in both post-season games, including the109th Grey Cup where he had one special teams tackle in the team's victory over theWinnipeg Blue Bombers.[9]
In the2023 season, Brissett gained a larger role on offense as he played in all 18 regular season games, starting in 13, where he had a career-high 38 receptions for 594 yards and five touchdowns.[9][10] He also had 11 special teams tackles, one forced fumble, and five kickoff returns for 109 yards.[9] He had the first playoff catches of his career where he had four receptions for 34 yards in the East Final loss to theMontreal Alouettes.[9] On February 5, 2024, the Argonauts announced that Brissett had signed a contract extension with the team.[11]
Brissett missed the majority of the2024 season with a knee injury. He caught five passes for 72 yards and a touchdown through Toronto's first two games, and then was placed on the injured list. He returned to play in each of Toronto's final four regular season games, finishing the season with 14 receptions for 171 yards and three touchdowns.[12] In the111th Grey Cup, Brissett caught three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown, and recovered an onside kick attempt in the team's victory over theWinnipeg Blue Bombers. For his performance, he was named the game'sMost Valuable Canadian.[13]
Brissett is the son of McKeitha McFarlane and Bernard Brissett, who separated when he was young.[14] He is of Jamaican descent.[15] Brissett is the older brother ofOshae Brissett, who played college basketball atSyracuse and won achampionship with theBoston Celtics.
