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For Jose Maltos, Guillermo Villalobos and Maximiliano Soto, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie’s CFL 2.0 vision is giving them the chance of a lifetime, an opportunity to make their professional football dreams come true.

It’s a longshot – maybe it happens, maybe it doesn’t – but it’s still an opportunity in a new country, a chance that’s got them excited. In mid-January, the CFL held a draft of Mexican players from the Liga de Futbol Americano Professional (LFA). Picking second, the Redblacks grabbed 27-year-old kicker Maltos, then later selected Villalobos, a receiver, and Soto, a defensive lineman.

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Maltos is a 27-year-old kicker, a good one who got a look from the NFL’s New Orleans Saints in 2013, then was in training camp with the B.C. Lions before getting released a year ago. With Lewis Ward and Richie Leone already on the Ottawa depth chart, it’ll be an uphill climb for Maltos, but that hasn’t dulled his enthusiasm or his will to succeed.

“I’m always ready,” said Maltos, who’s coaching kickers at a university in Monterrey and also owns a cleaning company. “I’ve worked for this opportunity. I’m excited and grateful. Playing football (at the professional level) has been my dream since I started.”

“I’m super excited,” said Villalobos, who at 5-foot-10 has flashed pass-catching skills. “Man, when you’re a child and you’re playing this fabulous sport, you dream about this moment.”