What a week it has been for running back Michael Herzog.

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What a week it has been for running back Michael Herzog.

On Monday, Herzog earned a free-agent invite to attend rookie camp with the Detroit Lions next week. On Tuesday, the Holy Names high school product was taken in the Canadian Football League Draft by the Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes.

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“Two pretty exciting days with Lions and Alouettes back-to-back,” said the 24-year-old Herzog, who was taken in the sixth round with the 56th pick overall by Montreal. “I’m spoiled right now. I have two opportunities and we’ll see what happens.”

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It’s an impressive accomplishment for a player that tore his the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in March of 2021, but was back a year later and posted a monster campaign in 2023.

“I had a good support system with family,” said Herzog, whose brother Zach Herzog was taken by Saskatchewan in the 2021 CFL Draft. “My brother tore his in 2019 and it’s about putting your head down, grinding it out and getting better anyway you can.”

Playing NCAA Division II, Herzog led the Great Midwest Athletic Conference with 230 carries for 1,333 yards and 21 touchdowns, which is a conference record. He averaged 121.2 yards rushing per game and averaged 172.2 all-purpose yards per game while also being a standout on special teams.

“Just getting back and being able to play football, I was very proud of myself last season,” said Herzog, who was recruited to Hillsdale as a receiver.

“He did a pro day at Central Michigan University in March before the CFL Combine where he ran one of the top 40-yard dash times at 4.55 seconds and posted the bester vertical jump at 39 inches.

“I got to see the Lions on one of the local days,” Herzog said. “I got into the building and met the coaches and now I’m at rookie camp.”

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CFL rookie camps are set to begin May 8, but Herzog will have to miss that camp to be with the Lions. That doesn’t mean he isn’t thankful for Tuesday’s selection.

“I’m biased and thought I was going earlier, but, in the end, everyone gets the same opportunity,” Herzog said. “The fact is, I get a chance to play professional football and to go to the Grey Cup champions. It’s an honour to be taken by a team that’s had so much success.”

Penn State tight end Theo Johnson, who was Herzog’s teammate at Holy Names, was also taken in Tuesday’s CFL Draft with the B.C. Lions taking him in the eighth round with the 71st pick overall. However, like Herzog, Johnson will be at an NFL rookie camp next week after the New York Giants took him in the fourth round of the draft on Tuesday.

“I think he’s going to have a long NFL career,” Herzog said of Johnson.

Herzog will also be in Detroit’s rookie camp with another player that went in the CFL Draft. University of British Columbia offensive tackle Giovanni Manu went to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the fifth round with the 46th overall pick, but the Lions took him in the fourth round of Saturday’s NFL Draft.

jpparker@postmedia.com

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