By Jim Beers, Contributing Writer
CHESTER – Jordan Berner, a former Chester High School Yellow Jacket and Southern Illinois Saluki Football standout, has been drafted to continue his football career at the professional level.
Jordan Berner and ZeVeyon Furcron exchange congratulations at the 2022 SIU Football Awards Banquet. Berner finished his 6-year career with the Salukis as a starter at Defensive End and Defensive Tackle and was recognized for finishing ties for 5th at SIU with 5-single-season recovered fumbles. He further had a career 144 solo tackles and tied for 7th in school history with 17.5 sacks. Berner will begin his pro football career Monday May 9th with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Football Team in the CFL (Canadian Football League). Jim Beers Photo
Berner signed Monday May 2 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Berner said, “I had hopes of getting a call from the NFL Sunday when they began contacting players as free agents, but late in the day my agent called and notified me that Winnipeg wanted to offer me a contract. After discussing the situation with my agent, we decided to take the offer and begin my pro career in the CFL.”
Berner just finished a stellar college career at SIU having played for the Salukis for six years. He played on the 2021 and 2022 Saluki NCAA Division I Football Championship Division Playoff team and was a starter at Defensive end and Defensive tackle for Saluki Head Coach Nick Hill.
At Southern Berner tied for 5th all-time in single-season fumbles recovered with five in 2021-22. He was Defensive Player of the Year in the short spring season in 2021 and he finished his Saluki career tied for 7th overall in SIU history with 17.5 sacks and had 144 tackles.
Berner will leave Monday May 9 for Winnipeg where he will begin his career with the Blue Bombers. The Bombers camp will last a month after which the CFL 2022 season will begin Friday June 10th and conclude in October with Canada’s equivalent of the NFL’s Super Bowl with the Annual Blue Cup Championships.
The Blue Bombers are coming off back-to-back CFL Championship Seasons.