Eric Starczala
 Starczala with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2024 | |
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Offensive lineman |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 6, 1996 Cambridge, Ontario, Canada |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 307 lb (139 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Jacob Hespeler (Cambridge) |
| University | Guelph (2014–2019) |
| CFL draft | 2019: 7th round, 62nd overall pick |
| Career history | |
| 2019 | Toronto Argonauts* |
| 2020–2021 | Toronto Argonauts* |
| 2022–2025 | Ottawa Redblacks |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Stats at CFL.ca | |
Eric Starczala (born August 6, 1996) is a Canadian professional football offensive lineman. He most recently played for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played U Sports football at Guelph. He has also been a member of the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.
Early life
[edit]Starczala attended Jacob Hespeler Secondary School in Cambridge, Ontario.[1]
University career
[edit]Starczala was first a member of the Guelph Gryphons football team of U Sports football from 2014 to 2018.[2] However, he did not play in 2014.[1]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+3⁄4 in (1.92 m) |
307 lb (139 kg) |
5.46 s | 5.00 s | 8.25 s | 24.5 in (0.62 m) |
8 ft 6+1⁄4 in (2.60 m) |
24 reps | |||||
| All values from CFL Combine[3] | ||||||||||||
Toronto Argonauts
[edit]Starczala was selected by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in the seventh round, with the 62nd overall pick, of the 2019 CFL draft.[4][5] He officially signed with the team on May 16, 2019.[6] Starczala was cut before the start of the 2019 CFL season, and returned to Guelph for his sixth season of U Sports football.[2]
After the 2019 U Sports football season, Starczala signed with the Argonauts again on November 25, 2019.[6] The 2020 CFL season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was later released by the Argonauts on July 28, 2021 before the start of the 2021 season.[7]
Ottawa Redblacks
[edit]Starczala was signed by the Ottawa Redblacks of the CFL on January 3, 2022.[8] He was moved to the practice roster on June 5, and was released on October 30. He later re-signed with the Redblacks on November 21, 2022.[9] He did not dress in any regular season games in 2022.[10]
Starczala was moved between the practice roster and active roster many times during the 2023 season.[11] Overall, he dressed in two games for the Redblacks that year.[10] In 2024, he again began the season on the practice roster, but due to an injury to Cyrille Hogan-Saindon, Starczala made his first career start on August 15, 2024, in the win against the Calgary Stampeders.[12][13] He played and started in the final ten games of the regular season that year and also made his playoff debut in the East Semi-Final, starting at centre in the loss to the Toronto Argonauts.[12][14]
In 2025, Starczala spent the entire season on the injured list.[15] He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 10, 2026.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Eric Starczala". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Massey, Rob. "Eric Starczala: Sixth year". gryphonfootball.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ "Eric Starczala CFL Combine Results". CFL.ca. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ^ Brown, Josh (May 4, 2019). "Toronto Argonauts pick Cambridge offensive lineman Eric Starczala in CFL draft". therecord.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ "Ottawa Redblacks bring back Canadian offensive lineman Eric Starczala". 3downnation.com. July 19, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ a b "Toronto Argonauts Transactions". Footballdb.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ "Toronto Argonauts Transactions". Footballdb.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ "Ottawa RedBlacks Transactions". Footballdb.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ "Ottawa RedBlacks Transactions". Footballdb.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ a b "2025 CFL Guide" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ "Ottawa RedBlacks Transactions". Footballdb.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ a b "Game notes" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ Brennan, Don (August 13, 2024). "GETTING ZIGGY WITH IT: Six seasons after being drafted, Starczala to make first CFL start". ottawacitizen.com. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ "Depth Charts: How the teams will lineup in the Division Semi-Finals". Canadian Football League. November 1, 2024.
- ^ "Game notes" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ "Transactions – Football Player Trades and Signings". Canadian Football League. Retrieved February 15, 2026.