July 1, 2009

Regina, Saskatchewan - On July 3rd, former Fordham University All-American defensive back Tad Kornegay will kickoff his fifth season in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and his third with his current team, the Saskatchewan Rough Riders.

Despite it being his third season with the Rough Riders, Kornegay will be tackling a new position in 2009. After appearing in the defensive backfield his first four years in the CFL he moves to linebacker this year, though it's not a typical linebacker position.

Kornegay performed well in a pair of exhibition games, making seven tackles in the first scrimmage against Edmonton on June 17th, being labeled as "the most impressive of the linebackers" by the Regina Leader-Post, and then recording three tackles in another exhibition contest on June 23rd against Calgary.

After starting his CFL career as a free agent signee with Hamilton in 2005, Kornegay played for the Tigers Cats in 2006 and 2006 before being traded to the Rough Riders in 2007. He appeared in 15 regular season games his first year in Saskatchewan, starting nine games in the secondary, and dressed as backup a defensive back in West Final and Grey Cup championship as the Rough Riders won the 2007 title. On the year, Kornegay recorded 29 defensive tackles, six special team tackles and five pass knockdowns.

Last year with Saskatchewan, Kornegay played in nine regular season games, starting five at defensive back, and also started in West Semi-Final playoff game. He finished the regular season with 20 defensive tackles, three special team tackles, and three pass knockdowns.

Kornegay was a standout with the Rams from 2001-04, capping his career by winning the 2005 Vincent T. Lombardi Award as Fordham's Male Athlete of the Year.

The Lombardi award was one of a long list of honors for Kornegay, a consensus First Team All-American in 2004. He was named 2004 First Team Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Walter Camp Division I-AA and Sports Network I-AA All-American as well being named one of 40 players named to the I-AA.org All-Star Team. Kornegay was also a finalist for the 2004 Buck Buchanan Award as the NCAA I-AA Defensive Player of the Year as awarded by the Sports Network, finishing 14th among the voting.

In 2004, Kornegay was named First Team All-Patriot League for the second straight season, leading the league in interceptions with eight while twice setting a school varsity record with three interceptions in a game. He first accomplished the feat against Duquesne on September 25th and then repeated it on October 9th versus Brown. The eight interceptions also tied for the second best single season performance in the Patriot League, tying Kornegay with Bucknell's Kevin Eiben who had eight picks in 2000. The league record is nine, set by Holy Cross' Dave Murphy in 1987.

The eight interceptions registered by Kornegay that fall tied for second best in the NCAA and was third best in Fordham single season history. For his career, Kornegay recorded 14 interceptions, tied for second best in Fordham history and third best in Patriot League history. Kornegay also broke up a team-high eight passes, second best in the conference, while recording 61 total tackles, 48 solo, third best on the squad, and registered two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

A link to Kornegay's Saskatchewan bio can be found here.

Links to articles on Kornegay can be found below:

Tad Kornegay up for new linebacker position with Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Kornegay at the Quarter.