Kienan LaFrance (born May 16, 1991) is a Canadian professional football running back. He made his professional debut for the Ottawa Redblacks, where he won the 104th Grey Cup in 2016, and has also been a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and BC Lions.
 LaFrance with the BC Lions in 2023 | |
| Born: | May 16, 1991 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | RB |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| University | Manitoba |
| CFL draft | 2015, round: 6, pick: 45 |
| Drafted by | Ottawa Redblacks |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2015–2016 | Ottawa Redblacks |
| 2017 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| 2018 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 2019–2022 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| 2023 | BC Lions |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career stats | |
| |
Professional career
editOttawa Redblacks
editLaFrance was drafted in the sixth round, 45th overall by the Ottawa Redblacks in the 2015 CFL Draft.[1] He was officially signed on May 25, 2015. After minimal usage his rookie season, LaFrance developed into a rotational player on offense and special teams, especially when starting running back William Powell was lost to injury.
On November 20, 2016 in the postseason, LaFrance rushed for 157 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown to send the Redblacks back to the Grey Cup for the second straight season.[2] Ottawa went on to win the Grey Cup, with LaFrance as the game's leading rusher with 42 yards on 11 carries, and also pitching in 31 receiving yards.[3]
Saskatchewan Roughriders (first stint)
editOn February 14, 2017, LaFrance signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL).[4] He dressed in 13 regular games and started six of them, recording 68 carries for 273 rushing yards and two touchdowns, as well as 14 catches for 119 receiving yards and one touchdown. He was released by the team on February 1, 2018[5] the day before the Roughriders were to pay LaFrance a $20,000 bonus as part of the final year of his contract; the original 2-year deal would have compensated LaFrance roughly $110,000 total per year.[6]
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
editOn February 13, 2018, it was announced that LaFrance had signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.[7] It was a one-year contract for about $80,000.[6] LaFrance provided insurance as a backup to Andrew Harris, who had helped recruit LaFrance to join Winnipeg. LaFrance scored 2 rushing touchdowns in 2018, in two separate games against Montreal.
Saskatchewan Roughriders (second stint)
editAfter fulfilling his contract with Winnipeg, LaFrance rejoined the Roughriders for the 2019 season.[8] LaFrance saw limited usage on offense, but was a notable contributor on special teams by making 15 tackles. He also caught a pass from punter Jon Ryan on a fake punt, but the play was negated due to a coaching clerical error.[9] LaFrance continued to mostly contribute on special teams during the 2021 season, and on December 22, 2021 was rewarded with a two-year contract extension.[10] On June 4, 2023, LaFrance was released by the Roughriders.[11]
BC Lions
editOn June 5, 2023, one day after being released by the Riders, LaFrance signed with the BC Lions.[12] On February 13, 2024, LaFrance became a free agent, as his contract with the Lions was not renewed.
Career statistics
edit| Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP | Car | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | ||
| 2015 | OTT | 16 | 6 | 17 | 2.8 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | OTT | 16 | 37 | 163 | 4.4 | 24 | 0 | 12 | 76 | 6.3 | 22 | 1 | ||
| 2017 | SSK | 13 | 68 | 273 | 4.0 | 18 | 2 | 14 | 123 | 8.8 | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2018 | WPG | 16 | 36 | 137 | 3.8 | 27 | 2 | 8 | 64 | 8.0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2019 | SSK | 18 | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | SSK | 18 | 7 | 43 | 6.1 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 69 | 11.6 | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | SSK | 11 | 9 | 39 | 4.3 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 5.6 | 7 | 0 | ||
| CFL totals | 104 | 165 | 681 | 4.1 | 27 | 4 | 49 | 361 | 7.4 | 23 | 2 | |||
References
edit- ^ "Breaking down the 2015 CFL Draft by team - CFL.ca". 12 May 2015.
- ^ "Tour LaFrance: REDBLACKS Grey Cup-Bound After Late Rushing TD".
- ^ "2016-11-27 Game Tracker - Calgary Stampeders vs. Ottawa Redblacks (2361)".
- ^ "Riders add ratio-breaker in Lafrance". CFL.ca. 2017-02-14. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
- ^ "Riders release RBs Lafrance, Bell". CFL.ca. 2018-02-01. Retrieved 2018-02-01.
- ^ a b "Bombers sign former Riders Canadian RB Kienan LaFrance – 3DownNation".
- ^ "Bombers sign Manitoba's Kienan LaFrance". CFL.ca. 2017-02-13. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
- ^ "Canadian running back Kienan Lafrance rejoins Saskatchewan Roughriders". The Province. The Canadian Press. 21 February 2019. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ^ "Negated pass on Riders trick play creates confusion for fans, players". 21 July 2019.
- ^ "Riders re-sign RB LaFrance, LS Hus - TSN.ca". TSN. The Canadian Press. 2021-12-22. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
- ^ "Saskatchewan Roughriders release 22, including RB Kienan LaFrance". 3DownNation. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ Dunk, Justin (2023-06-05). "B.C. Lions sign former Riders' running back Kienan LaFrance". 3DownNation. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
External links
edit