Elks sign Americans Adeoye, Flowers; release RB Brooks

CFL.ca Staff

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Elks have signed American defensive lineman Aaron Adeoye (DL) and American receiver Malik Flowers, the club announced Thursday.

Adeoye is coming off back-to-back championship seasons, one with the Arlington Renegades of the XFL in 2023 and another with the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL) in 2022. In two games for the Renegades, he recorded seven tackles, two tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks last season.

Adeoye appeared in four games for the Stallions in 2022, where he contributed 12 total tackles. Prior to playing spring football, the Marion, Ill., native spent two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens (2019-20), suiting up in one regular season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12 of the 2020 season. The 30-year-old has had stints on the practice rosters of the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers during the 2021 NFL season, as well as the Champions Indoor Football League (2017), the Spring League (2018), and the Alliance of American Football (2019).

Adeoye began his college career on the hardwood, playing four seasons of college basketball (2011-15), with Ball State (2011-12), John A. Logan College (2012-13), Western Kentucky (2013-14) and Southeast Missouri State (2014-15). In his fifth year of eligibility, the six-foot-six Adeoye would make the switch to the gridiron, earning a spot with the Southeast Missouri State football team in 2015, playing in four games for the Redhawks.

Flowers, 24, returns to the Green and Gold after being released in early October of last season. The native of Fontana, Calif., would sign with the Las Vegas Raiders as a member of their practice squad following his release from Edmonton. Prior to signing with the Elks, Flowers had brief stints with the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks in 2023, playing in one preseason game with Seahawks.

The six-foot-two receiver would spend five years at the University of Montana (2018-22), where he earned second-team FCS All-America honours as a returner three times and tied the NCAA Division I (FBS and FCS) record with seven career kick return touchdowns.

In addition, the Elks have released American running back Shannon Brooks. Brooks played in all 18 regular season games for the Double E in 2023, rushing for 175 yards on 36 attempts. The Minnesota native signed with the Elks in November of 2022.

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