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The leading rusher in the CFL this season and the man with the most receptions have more things in common than just their Canadian passports.

Running back Andrew Harris of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and receiver Brad Sinopoli of the Ottawa Redblacks are both guys who became professional football players through unconventional means.

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They had to make big sacrifices or significant changes just to get a chance to get on the field and they eventually benefitted from the CFL’s ratio rules (each team must start seven Canadians) regarding national players to make good on their opportunities.

Today, they are paying it all back to the league, with Harris on pace for the second best rushing season ever by a Canadian and Sinopoli on pace to catch the second most passes in a season by any CFL player.

The fact is there’s a chance neither player wouldn’t have even made it to the CFL were it not for the ratio.

“Maybe not,” says Sinopoli, who, at age 30, is leading the CFL with 60 receptions in just eight games this season.