Cleannord Saintil
Encyclopedia
Cleannord Saintil is a professional Canadian football
wide receiver
free agent
. He was originally signed by the San Jose SaberCats
of the Arena Football League as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football
for the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
.
, Florida
. He played high school football
at Naples High School
and in his senior year
led his team to the Florida 5A championship being named to both first-team all-state and all-county honors. In addition, he earned all-county honors for his basketball play and won the Florida Pop Warner football
championship with his Naples Gators team when he was 14 years old.
, a community college in Texas, in 2002, where he totalled 12 touchdowns and 964 yards on 43 catches, enough to earn Junior College All-American accolades. In 2003, he attended Highland Community College (Illinois)
and earned All-Jayhawk Conference
First-Team honors as a receiver and kick return specialist with 38 catches for 624 yards and 9 touchdowns, leading the conference in receptions and receiving yards per game.
He then went on to play two seasons of college football
for the Middle Tennessee State University
Blue Raiders from 2004 to 2005. In his first season there, he ranked third on the team with 40 receptions and scored a rushing touchdown as well as returning 11 kickoffs. In his final season, he made 11 starts and earned First Team All-Sun Belt Conference
honors by leading the conference with 66 catches — the fifth-highest season total at MidTenn State. He also gained 379 yards on 17 kickoff returns.
and instead signed with the San Jose SaberCats
of the Arena Football League. He played in five games in his rookie year, starting the season on the injury reserve list. Nonetheless, he was able to contribute with 7 touchdowns and 181 yards on 16 receptions and 8.5 tackle
s. He was the SaberCats leading receiver in the 2008 season when he caught 120 passes for 1,503 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also returned 9 kicks for 129 yards and, in the playoffs, caught 24 passes for 248 yards for 7 touchdowns. He dressed for the ArenaBowl XXII
loss to the Philadelphia Soul
.
On March 9, 2009, Saintil signed as a free agent with the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
but was released at the end of training camp.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was originally signed by the San Jose SaberCats
San Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats are a professional arena football team in the Arena Football League. They began play as a 1995 expansion team. They played in the Western Division of the American Conference. Their final coach in the original Arena Football League was Darren Arbet, who will be a part of the...
of the Arena Football League as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represents Middle Tennessee State University in NCAA Division I FBS football competition. The Blue Raiders, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, play their home games at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.Rick Stockstill has...
.
Early years
Saintil was born in NaplesNaples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Naples High School
Naples High School
Naples High School is a secondary education school located in Naples, Florida, and is one of eight public high schools located in Collier County. Naples High School is part of the District School Board of Collier County.- Athletics :...
and in his senior year
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
led his team to the Florida 5A championship being named to both first-team all-state and all-county honors. In addition, he earned all-county honors for his basketball play and won the Florida Pop Warner football
Pop Warner Little Scholars
Pop Warner Little Scholars is a non-profit organization that provides youth football, cheerleading, and dance programs for participants in 43 U.S. states and several countries around the world. It is headquartered in Langhorne, Pennsylvania...
championship with his Naples Gators team when he was 14 years old.
College football
Saintil first attended Ranger CollegeRanger College
Ranger College is a community college located in Ranger, Texas, a small town west of Fort Worth, Texas. The college's website asserts that it "is one of the oldest public two-year colleges in continuous operation in the state of Texas." In conjunction with its main campus in Ranger, the college...
, a community college in Texas, in 2002, where he totalled 12 touchdowns and 964 yards on 43 catches, enough to earn Junior College All-American accolades. In 2003, he attended Highland Community College (Illinois)
Highland Community College (Illinois)
Highland Community College is a public two-year community college. Its main campus is located in Freeport, Illinois. The college is recognized by the Illinois Community College Board, and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and a member of the North Central Association.-History:Highland...
and earned All-Jayhawk Conference
Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference
The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference is a college athletic conference that is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association...
First-Team honors as a receiver and kick return specialist with 38 catches for 624 yards and 9 touchdowns, leading the conference in receptions and receiving yards per game.
He then went on to play two seasons of college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States....
Blue Raiders from 2004 to 2005. In his first season there, he ranked third on the team with 40 receptions and scored a rushing touchdown as well as returning 11 kickoffs. In his final season, he made 11 starts and earned First Team All-Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
honors by leading the conference with 66 catches — the fifth-highest season total at MidTenn State. He also gained 379 yards on 17 kickoff returns.
Professional career
Saintil went undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
and instead signed with the San Jose SaberCats
San Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats are a professional arena football team in the Arena Football League. They began play as a 1995 expansion team. They played in the Western Division of the American Conference. Their final coach in the original Arena Football League was Darren Arbet, who will be a part of the...
of the Arena Football League. He played in five games in his rookie year, starting the season on the injury reserve list. Nonetheless, he was able to contribute with 7 touchdowns and 181 yards on 16 receptions and 8.5 tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
s. He was the SaberCats leading receiver in the 2008 season when he caught 120 passes for 1,503 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also returned 9 kicks for 129 yards and, in the playoffs, caught 24 passes for 248 yards for 7 touchdowns. He dressed for the ArenaBowl XXII
ArenaBowl XXII
ArenaBowl XXII was played on July 27, 2008 at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana . It was the 22nd and final championship game in the history of the original Arena Football League. This was the fourth neutral site ArenaBowl in AFL history and the second ArenaBowl in the state of Louisiana...
loss to the Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
.
On March 9, 2009, Saintil signed as a free agent with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
but was released at the end of training camp.