CFL fans and former Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden have something in common: they both love Alex Singleton.
The current Denver Broncos’ linebacker was the subject of an effusive video posted by the current Barstool Sports analyst on social media, highlighting his unique path to stardom through the CFL.
“I always give Alex Singleton his props. But did you know this guy, Singleton, is looking to be one of the very few amount of people that have won a Grey Cup in Canada and a Super Bowl in the United States? A lot of people don’t even know,” Gruden shared.
If you don’t know the story behind Alex Singleton’s career, you SHOULD!
This guys is the defintion of a GRINDER!!@pizzahut pic.twitter.com/KJc9tf8N0a
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) January 23, 2026
The Thousand Oaks, Cal., native, who qualified for Canadian citizenship through his mother, is a topical name in the midst of the NFL playoffs, following his performance in the AFC Divisional Round. Singleton recorded 14 tackles in Denver’s overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills and forced a key fumble in the second quarter that made coaches everywhere gush.
“Singleton, that tackle he made against James Cook, as good as you can do it. I mean, it was a face-up tackle, physical finish, balls out, Broncos recovered,” Gruden raved. “This cat played for Seattle, he played for Minnesota, he played for the Patriots. He gets on and off everybody’s practice squad. Singleton goes to Canada for three years. He wins a Grey Cup. He comes back to the United States. He plays for the Eagles for three years.”
Singleton played 16 games for the Broncos during the 2025 regular season. He registered 135 total defensive tackles, 54 solo, four passes defended, one sack and one forced fumble. The 32-year-old missed one game in November after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumour.
The six-foot-two, 240-pound linebacker has earned over $20.6 million USD during his eight-year NFL career. He’s notched 768 total tackles, 436 solo, 25 tackles for loss, 22 QB hits, 17 pass knockdowns, five sacks, five fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, in 95 regular-season games, 66 starts, with Philadelphia and Denver.
However, none of it would have been possible without time spent with the Calgary Stampeders, who selected him in the first round, sixth overall, during the 2016 CFL Draft. He played three seasons with the team, recording 123 tackles over his final two years, and earned two CFL all-star selections along with a Most Outstanding Defensive Player award. Singleton hoisted the Grey Cup in 2018 with the Stamps before taking advantage of his renewed NFL opportunity.
“No one even knows he’s 32 years old, but he’s got 135 tackles. He beat cancer. He played a whole freaking game last year with a torn ACL against Tampa,” Gruden continued. “How do you not root for that guy? I love him.”
Gruden, who previously served as head coach of the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, pulled the clip from a longer YouTube video and posted it on multiple social media platforms. The Super Bowl XXXVII champion has more than 1.5 million combined followers on X, Instagram, and TikTok.
Singleton and the Broncos (14-3) will face the New England Patriots (14-3) on Sunday, January 25, in the AFC Championship game. Kickoff is slated for 3:00 p.m. EST from Mile High Stadium in Denver, with a trip to Super Bowl LX on the line.
