Eric Lofton (born March 6, 1993) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

for the

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division (CFL), West division. They play thei ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

(CFL). He played

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Early life

Raised in

Lumberton, New Jersey Lumberton is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading- Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley. As of the 2020 United ...

, Lofton played offensive tackle and tight end for the Red Devils at Rancocas Valley High School. In addition to football, Lofton was also a member of the wrestling team.

College career

, Lofton redshirted the 2011 season. Over the next four years, he played in 37 games. He was named a first-team All-

American Athletic Conference The American Athletic Conference (AAC), also known as The American, is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States, featuring 13 full member universities and 6 affiliate member universities that compete in t ...

selection as a senior in 2015. Lofton graduated with a degree in economics.

Professional career

After graduation, Lofton had tryouts with several professional teams, including the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

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, and the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...

. Before landing with a team, Lofton worked for Freedom Mortgage in South Jersey.

Ottawa Redblacks

On February 27, 2017, Lofton was signed by the Ottawa Redblacks. He earned a roster spot with the team after making it out of training camp. In two seasons with Ottawa, Lofton saw action in four games (one in 2017, three in 2018), spending most of his time on the practice squad.

BC Lions

Lofton signed with the

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions playe ...

on February 8, 2019. On June 8, 2019, Lofton was released before the start of season.

Edmonton Eskimos / Football Team

On July 8, 2019, Lofton was signed to the

Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at Commonwealth Stadium. The E ...

practice squad. Lofton appeared in two games during the

2019 season Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * '' 19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * '' Dici ...

. He did not play any games in

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

because of the cancellation of the CFL season due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. Lofton signed a contract extension with Edmonton on December 30, 2020. He was released on May 24, 2021.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (first stint)

On March 22, 2022, it was announced that he had signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He played in one game that season.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

On February 10,

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, it was announced that Lofton had signed with the

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 19 ...

. He played 14 games that season for the Roughriders. He became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

upon the expiry of his contract on February 13, 2024.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (second stint)

On February 16, 2024, Lofton signed with the Blue Bombers.

References

External links

Winnipeg Blue Bombers bio

Temple Owls bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lofton, Eric 1993 births Living people Temple Owls football players Canadian football offensive linemen Ottawa Redblacks players BC Lions players Edmonton Elks players People from Lumberton, New Jersey Players of American football from Burlington County, New Jersey Players of Canadian football from New Jersey Sportspeople from Sherwood Park Rancocas Valley Regional High School alumni American football offensive linemen Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Saskatchewan Roughriders players