Stampeders sign free agent linebacker Carter

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The Calgary Stampeders signed free agent non-import linebacker Yannick Carter to a contract on Tuesday.
 
Carter has played a total of six CFL seasons for Saskatchewan and Hamilton and has excelled on special teams throughout his career. As a rookie with the Roughriders in 2007, he led the team with 22 special-teams tackles and was part of Saskatchewan's Grey Cup-winning squad. In 2009 with Hamilton, he set a new career high and finished fifth in the CFL with 24 tackles.
 
For his career, the 28-year-old from Pickering, Ont., has played in 80 regular-season games and accumulated 78 special-teams tackles, four defensive tackles and one blocked punt. In 2012 with Hamilton, he missed the first 12 games of the season due to injury and returned to action for Hamilton's final six contests, recording two special-teams tackles.
 
"Yannick has shown himself to be an excellent special-teams player and he also adds to our Canadian depth at linebacker," said Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. "After two consecutive seasons of battling injuries, he has worked very hard to get healthy again I know he will be very anxious to re-establish himself."
 
Carter was selected in third round, 20th overall, by Saskatchewan in the 2007 CFL Canadian Draft. He played four seasons for at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he was a teammate of Stampeders defensive lineman Justin Phillips. He helped the Golden Hawks win the 2005 Vanier Cup and in 2006, he led CIS with 10.5 sacks and was a first-team conference and national all-star.
 
"I'm very grateful to the Stampeders for giving me this opportunity and allow me the chance to continue living my dream by playing football," said Carter. "The last two years have been difficult for me but getting back on the field at the end of last season was a huge step and I look forward to putting in a full season."