There is still just one Iranian professional football in North America. But Sherko Haji-Rasouli was released a few months ago after playing six seasons with the BC Lions. He has not been hired by any other football team yet.
The BC Lions, however, have signed Hamid Mahmoudi as a cornerback. The 5-foot-8, 177-pound Mahmoudi played in college for the Montreal Carabins and was the 20th pick overall in last year’s draft by the eight-team Canadian Football League (CFL).
He and Cauchy Muamba are the backups to cornerback Davis Sanchez, a team star. Mahmoudi has not yet played.
The families of both Haji-Rasouli and Mahmoudi fled Iran because of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. They both spent time in other countries before finally making their way to Canada and starti8ng homes there.
Haji-Rasouli, an offensive lineman, turns 31 in a few weeks and his career may be over. Mahmoudi turns 26 in a few weeks.