af2 Green Bay Blizzard

Sykes Signs with CFL's Roughriders

Published on January 26, 2009 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Green Bay Blizzard News Release


The 2008 af2 Defensive Player of the Year and the Green Bay Blizzard's all-time sack leader, Joe Sykes, has signed a multi-year deal with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

Sykes will join the three-time Grey Cup Champion Roughriders and a defense ranked second in passing yards against and total yards against during the 2008 season.

Joe Sykes anchored a Blizzard defense that ranked first in total defense (200.1 ypg), defensive pass efficiency (69.7), pass defense (178.7 ypg), sacks by (55) and second in scoring defense (38.1 ppg) and red zone defense (68.6%).

Sykes led the entire af2 in sacks (26.0), tackles for loss (28.5), and forced fumbles (8). In the playoffs, Sykes tied an af2 single-game sack record with 5.0 against the Lexington Horsemen. Sykes earned the af2 Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the year honors for his play with the Blizzard in 2008.

Prior to joining the Blizzard, Sykes signed as a free agent in 2006 with the Washington Redskins and was on the active roster for the majority of the season.

During his freshman and sophomore years at Holmes Community College in Mississippi, Sykes was a two-time NJCAA All-American at defensive end and won his junior college's regional championship. After his two years at Holmes CC and one year at West Virginia, Sykes then transferred for his senior season to Southern University where he played in 9 games, recording 53 tackles and 10.0 sacks.

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