CALGARY – University of Calgary defensive lineman Connor McGough and defensive back Robert Woodson have accepted offers to attend the New York Giants' mini-camp later this month.

The tryout camp is set for May 12-14 at the Giants' training facility in East Rutherford, N.J.

"It's a great opportunity – our players not getting exposed not just to the CFL but to the NFL, see how they can compete with some of the top NCAA players and see where they fit in at the NFL level," said Dinos Head Coach Wayne Harris. "They're following in the footsteps of [Arizona Cardinals defensive back] Elie Bouka  and other guys like Kent Warnock, Don Blair, and Linden Gaydosh. The exposure to the NFL is great for the program, and with the ground guys like Connor and Robbie are breaking we hope that more of our guys will have the same opportunities going forward."

Warnock, the Dinos' current defensive line coach, had a tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Blair attended the Chicago Bears' camp while Gaydosh spent a season on the Carolina Panthers' practice roster. All three were No. 1 overall picks in the CFL: Warnock in 1986, Blair in 1996, and Gaydosh in 2013.

Woodson is the No. 14-ranked player on the CFL's prospect list and will likely hear his name called in the CFL Draft Sunday night (beginning 5 p.m. MT, TSN). The 2015 Canada West defensive player of the year, he was again a conference all-star in 2016 with 16 tackles, a pick, and a knockdown on the 2016 season – when teams rarely threw in his direction. He's the younger brother of Calgary Stampeders running back Anthony Woodson and son of Tony Woodson, who played four years in the CFL.

"It was exciting to get the invite," said Woodson, a Calgary native. "It's a great opportunity and I can't wait to get out there and start up. We have nothing to lose – I just want to go down there and prove to them that I can play down south and that I have the skill level and mindset to do that.

"Growing up you always dream of playing pro football, whether it's the CFL or NFL, and I can't wait to get down there."

McGough, a fourth-year science student from Medicine Hat, Alta., is ranked No. 20 on the CFL's prospect list. A first team Canada West all-star and a former All-Canadian, the 6-foot-2, 251-pound lineman has impressed with his speed and skill as he looks to make the leap to professional football. He ran a 4.73 40-yard dash at the CFL combine.

"After the combine, my agent thought we would be able to look at something down south, and this is a great opportunity," said McGough. "My mindset going in will be similar to the combine: I'll do what I know I can do to the best of my ability, and not worry about anyone else. I want to learn as much as I can, and I'm feeling really good and confident that I'll represent myself and the school well."

It's the third straight year the Dinos will have representation at the Giants' camp after Mercer Timmis and Brett Blaszko attended in 2016, while offensive lineman Sean McEwan was there in 2015. Timmis is now a member of the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats, while Blazko spent the 2016 season on the B.C. Lions' practice roster and McEwen starts along the Toronto Argonauts' O-line.

Offensive lineman Braden Schram (No. 16) is also ranked in the top-20 among CFL prospects heading into Sunday's CFL Draft.

-UC-