The CFL community is in mourning on Wednesday after the news of B.C. Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive lineman Craig Roh passed away at the age of 33 due to colon cancer. His wife announced the passing on both his Instagram and X (former Twitter) accounts.
“This is Chelsea, Craig’s wife. I wanted to let all of his followers know that after an 18-month battle with Stage IV colon cancer, God brought Craig home on Monday, February 26th. Craig was not very public with his battle, as he truly just wanted to focus on bringing the best content and building the best products he could. He laid out a timeline for his business so stay tuned… Many have asked how they can help, I’ve attached our GoFundMe to this post.”
Craig Roe was six foot five and weighed 266 pounds. The 33-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona, had signed with the Toronto Argonauts in 2020 but the season was canceled due to the pandemic.
Before Toronto, Roe signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He spent two seasons on the practice squad. In 2014, Roe played for the Omaha Mammoths (FXFL) where he was named an All-Star. Next, Roe signed with the B.C. Lions in 2015. He played three seasons in British Columbia making 64 tackles, three pass breakups, 20 sacks, and one forced fumble in 45 games.
Then, Roe signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2018. He made 46 tackles, 14 sacks, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles in 28 games helping the Blue Bombers win the Grey Cup in 2019.
Collegiately, Roe played four seasons at Michigan (2009-12) making 150 tackles (81 solo, 69 assists), 26.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, one interception, four pass breakups, and three forced fumbles in 51 games for the Wolverines. He was named Second Team All-Big Ten in 2012.
After his professional football career, Roe started D-Line University to help players improve their skills as a defensive lineman offering courses from Skills & Drills Database, Workouts, Support, and more.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover medical expenses and more. If you would like to contribute, click the link here.
From all of us at BGMSportsTrax, we would like to extend our condolences to the B.C. Lions, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Michigan Wolverines, and Carolina Panthers communities along with the fans and family of Craig Roe.
