A KSS grad and an Okanagan Sun grad have each taken the next big step towards a pro football career.

Taylor Loffler and Brennan Van Nistelrooy were both selected Tuesday in the Canadian Football League's 2016 draft.

Loffler, a safety/defensive back, was drafted in the third round, 19th overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound former Owl, helped the UBC Thunderbirds to the CIS national championship last season.

Loffler, who struggled with injuries throughout his four-year stint at Boise State, transferred to the Thunderbirds last season and made an immediate impact in the Canada West conference. While at KSS, Loffler was named the B.C. high school football player of the year in 2010.

Van Nistelrooy, a defensive back, was selected in the sixth round, 48th overall by the B.C. Lions.

The 23-year-old from Lethbridge led the Canadian Junior Football League in interceptions in 2015. Van Nistelrooy was also the Sun's co-MVP and the BCFC's outstanding defensive player last season.

Van Nistelrooy, who attended the Lions' evaluations camps in both 2014 and 2015, performed well this spring at both the CFL regional combine in Edmonton and the CFL Combine in Toronto.

Van Nistelrooy will head the Lions rookie camp May 26 in Kamloops.