Senior Marco Iannuzzi is Harvard’s all-time leader in yards per kickoff return, with an average of 26.5. During his final season, he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, including an 84-yard return during The Game. Now, Ianuzzi is hoping to extend his football career to the next level. The senior wide receiver, a native of Calgary, Alberta, participated in the Canadian Football League’s Evaluation Camp this past weekend.
Evaluation Camp (known simply as E-Camp) is similar to the NFL Combine. It is an opportunity for athletes to showcase their skills for representatives from the league’s eight teams. Iannuzzi and his fellow CFL prospects competed in six events designed to test their readiness for the intensified play at the professional level.
Iannuzzi had an impressive showing in the 40-yard dash, finishing the sprint in a respectable 4.58 seconds. This time was the third-fastest all weekend, and the second-fastest among prospective wide receivers. Another event in which the senior had success was the vertical jump. Iannuzzi’s leap of 40 inches put him in a tie for fifth-place.
"My understanding is he ran very well," Crimson coach Tim Murphy said. "I know in football shoes he ran a 4.5, which is fast."
In addition to competing in the physical events, E-Camp prospects also have a chance to meet with officials from CFL teams for an interview. Iannuzzi met with a number of teams over the weekend, including the Winnepeg Blue Bombers, who will make the first overall pick in this year’s CFL Draft on May 8th.
"Marco's a guy that I think can have a long career in the CFL," Murphy said. "He's an all-purpose receiver. He's strong and physical enough: a 200 lb. receiver. He's got outstanding speed...He can catch anything."