The Edmonton Elks made several moves on Thursday. First, they signed former Penn State wide receiver Cam Sullivan-Brown and former Incarnate Word defensive lineman Olivier Charles-Pierre. Then, the Elks released kicker Sergio Garcia and defensive lineman Avery Ellis.
Cam Sullivan-Brown is six foot and weighs 193 pounds. The 24-year-old from Bowie, Maryland, played four seasons at Penn State (2018-21) with 17 catches for 163 yards in 37 games for the Nittany Lions. In his final season, he caught four passes for 44 yards in 13 games.
Then, Sullivan-Brown transferred to the University of Massachusetts in 2022 with 27 catches for 373 yards, two touchdowns, and one kick return for 14 yards in ten games for the Minutemen. He earned Pro Football Network All-Independent team honors as a Second Team wide receiver.
Olivier Charles-Pierre is six foot one and weighs 375 pounds. The 29-year-old from Laval, Quebec, played one season at Incarnate Word with 37 tackles (11 solo, 26 assists), 7.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble in 13 games for the Cardinals.
Before Incarnate Word, Charles-Pierre played two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute (2017-18) with 32 tackles (20 solo, 12 assists) and 5.5 tackles for loss in ten games for the Colts. He was named a preseason Junior College All-American by GridironRR.com in 2018.
Then, Charlies-Pierre transferred to Houston (2019-21) with 23 tackles (10 solo, 13 assists), three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery in 24 games for the Cougars.
Sergio Castillo is five foot eleven and weighs 196 pounds. The 32-year-old from La Joya, Texas, converted 37 of 44 field goals (84.1%) with a long of 52 yards, made 26 of 29 extra point conversions, and punted the ball eight times for 266 yards in 18 games for the Elks in 2022.
Castillo signed with the Elks as a free agent in 2022 after playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2021. It was his second stint in Winnipeg. He made 7 of 9 field goals (77.8%) with a long of 50 yards, and made 4 of 5 extra point conversions in three games, helping the Blue Bombers win their second Grey Cup title.
Castillo signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2014 but was released after one preseason game. Then, he signed with the Blue Bombers in 2015. He made 10 of 13 field goals (76.9%) with a long of 48 yards, converted 5 of 6 extra points, and eight punts for 320 yards in four games. In 2016, he signed with the Ottawa Redblacks and punted the ball 13 times for 13 yards in two games before being released.
After Ottawa, Castillo signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2017, making 29 of 34 field goals with a long of 57 yards, converted 20 of 21 extra points, and punted the ball 93 times for 3,181 yards in 14 games before missing the rest of the season with an ACL injury.
In 2018, he returned to Ottawa for a tryout but did not make the team. A year later, he signed with the San Antonio Commanders (AAF) but was released before the season started. Not long after being released, Castillo signed with the B.C. Lions. He made 41 of 45 field goals (91.1%) with a long of 52 yards, converted 30 of 33 extra points, and punted the ball 20 times for 598 yards. He was named a CFL West All-Star and CFL All-Star in 2019.
After the Lions, Castillo was drafted by the Houston Roughnecks (XFL) in 2020. He made 5 of 9 field goals (55.6%) with a long of 44 yards. After the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season in which he signed with the B.C. Lions, Castillo signed with the New York Jets in 2020. He made 8 of 13 field goals (61.5%) with a long of 55 yards and converted 6 of 7 extra points. In 2021, returned to the CFL, signing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Collegiately, Castillo played four seasons at West Texas A&M (2010-13) making 38 of 49 field goals in his career with a long of 56, converting 174 of 177 extra points. He ranks third all-time in school history in scoring at 288 points. He is a two-time All-Lone Star Conference First Team.
Avery Ellis is six foot two and weighs 250 pounds. The 28-year-old from Newark, New Jersey, made 17 tackles (16 DT, 1 ST), three sacks, and one forced fumble in seven games for the Elks in 2022. The Elks acquired him from the Montreal Alouettes in 2022. Ellis had 18 tackles and four sacks in nine games for Montreal before the trade.
Before Montreal, Ellis spent four seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks, making 147 tackles (145 DT, 1 ST), one touchdown, two forced fumbles, and 21 sacks in 66 games.
Collegiately, Ellis played four seasons at Temple (2012, 2014-16) with 41 tackles (23 solo, 18 assists), eight tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two blocked kicks in 48 games for the Owls.
