Tiger Shanks is immersing himself in a new culture with the Montreal Alouettes, but that kind of thing is not new to the rookie offensive lineman.
Shanks, the Als’ first round pick in last month’s draft (fifth overall), had been handed a phone just after his first day of full training camp practice — complete with returning veterans — and already, he said, he’d gotten a strong vibe around how the Alouettes do things.
“Yes, sir, very impressed,” Shanks replied when asked about the Montreal way, led by head coach Jason Maas. “Very impressed,” he repeated.
“I’m loving it. I mean, definitely a new game, just trying to get the new rules down, trying to learn the playbook.”
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OL Tiger Shanks was selected by the Montreal Alouettes in the first round of the 2025 CFL Draft (Victor Beaudoin/MontrealAlouettes.com)
Getting used to new cultures isn’t such a strange thing to Shanks, and I’m not referring solely to him having to assimilate to a new football team and its ways, its schemes and its personalities.
The first time he did it maybe doesn’t count so much as it happened when he was just an infant.
Born in Vancouver, Shanks spent his days as a baby and a toddler in China, the birth country of his mother, Kerry Yu, an accomplished global entrepreneur in the worlds of fashion, modelling and jewellery design.
“‘What hasn’t she done?’ is almost a better question,” said Shanks of his mom.
Shanks’ family moved to the United States and plunked down in Lake Oswego, Oregon when he was five, so the youngster had some settling in to do there as well. While he hasn’t been back to China since he was nine, he feels a strong bond with that country and his Asian heritage.
“My mom’s a first generation immigrant from China, so she still has family there,” said Shanks. “My uncle still lives in China. I still have a bunch of aunts and family there. It means a whole lot to me. It definitely holds a place in my heart.”
As Shanks makes his way at his first pro camp, the 23-year-old former UNLV Rebel is going full speed with high expectations and little if any trepidation. It’s in his nature to take on things that way, he said.
“I’ve never played on a team where my thought was to ease into anything,” said the six-foot-five, 325-pounder. “I’m trying to just jump right in and help the team any way I can. If that’s starting, that’s great. But if not, I definitely want to be a guy that comes in and goes to work every day and can compete to try to earn a spot out there.”
The Alouettes are blessed with tremendous, experienced talent on the offensive line, with returning veterans like Nick Callender, Pier-Olivier Lestage and Justin Lawrence as well as free agent addition Cyrille Hogan-Saindon (ex of Ottawa) on the roster.
“They’ve kind of taken me under their wing a little bit,” said Shanks of the entirety of the Montreal O-line group. “And it’s just been great, you know? I’m just trying to learn as much as I can from them.”
With the departures of Philippe Gagnon (Saskatchewan) and Kristian Matte (retired), a standout camp could conceivably put Shanks in a starter’s role at guard or tackle, or at least on the game day roster in a backup role. A two-time Mountain West Conference First Team All-Star while at right tackle with the Rebels, Shanks said he prefers that spot but “I’m comfortable doing both.”
He’s hoping that what he feels is a keen understanding of his duties are on any given play will help him stand out as camp and pre-season chug along.
“I would just say I have a pretty good feel for the game,” Shanks said.
“I think my football IQ is pretty high, and I just can understand what the defence is bringing, and just kind of counter it any way that I can.”
If things go as planned, Shanks will have a long, illustrious career ahead of him. While it’s not top of mind — being the best football player he can be is — the rookie lineman knows he can be a role model for all young football players, and Asian hopefuls in particular.
“For those Asian kids, if they like football, you know, they never see anyone that really looks like them. But I’m super happy that I can be maybe a role model, or just someone that those kids can look up to. That’s pretty cool to me.
“There’s not very many of us Asian Football players out there, and it’s something I take a lot of pride in, for sure.”
That and being part of a culture of winning, something Shanks enjoyed in his final two seasons at UNLV, and something he can sense is very much present at Alouettes camp as well.
“Being in that culture, that winning culture, is something that you can just kind of feel within the team and feel within the program,” he said.
Shanks played college football for the UNLV Rebels from 2020 to 2024 (UNLV Athletics)
TIGER’S A COOL HANDLE. HOW’D HE GET IT?
Shanks’ given names are Hunter King and that first name means he’s actually Hunter Jr., named after his dad, who also played some football back in the day.
How did the family land on “Tiger” as the name he’d go by?
“Honestly, I don’t really know the story behind it too much,” said Shanks. “I think it maybe has a little bit to do with Tiger Woods. He won the PGA Tour the year I was born (2002).
“We’re a pretty big golfing family, at least on my dad’s side.”
Including you?
“I’m not very good, no,” he replied sheepishly.
