The Edmonton Eskimos bumped up their local content on Friday, signing junior football player Anthony Barrett to a contract.
Barrett, 22, spent the last five seasons playing for the Edmonton Huskies and was a focal part of the offence in 2013. In seven games last year, Barrett showed his versatility, catching 33 balls for 536 yards and four touchdowns, along with 14 carries that he turned into 136 yards and one touchdown. He had two TDs on punt returns on 22 attempts, picking up 265 yards along the way. He also returned seven kickoffs for 142 yards. His coach, Iain MacLean, says those numbers would have been higher had a couple of other touchdowns of his not been called back due to penalties.
Barrett has been on the Eskimos’ radar the last few years, after attending training camp with them in 2012. He was one of a handful of junior players who dropped into practice last season as well, supplying bodies in the first few weeks of the Eskimos’ campaign.
