| Deionte Knight | |
| Image Upright: | 1 |
| Team: | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| Position1: | Defensive lineman |
| Birth Date: | 7 April 1999 |
| Birth Place: | Ajax, Ontario, Canada |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 3 |
| Weight Lbs: | 290 |
| Cis: | Western |
| Cfldraftedyear: | 2022 |
| Cfldraftedround: | 2 |
| Cfldraftedpick: | 10 |
| Cfldraftedteam: | Toronto Argonauts |
| Playing Team1: | Toronto Argonauts |
| Playing Years2: | –present |
| Playing Team2: | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| Status: | Active |
| Import: | no |
| Career Highlights: |
|
| Honours: | |
| Cfl: | deionte-knight/166982/ |
Deionte Knight (born April 7, 1999) is a Canadian professional football defensive lineman for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Knight played for the Western Mustangs of U Sports football from 2018 to 2021.[1] [2] He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 season, but managed to record 96 tackles and 13.5 sacks in three seasons.[3] In his final year, in 2021, he recorded 52 tackles, including 13 for a loss, ten sacks, and two forced fumbles as he won the J. P. Metras Trophy that year.[3] To end the year, Knight won a Vanier Cup championship after the Mustangs defeated the Saskatchewan Huskies in the 56th Vanier Cup where Knight recorded three tackles and one sack.[4]
Knight was drafted in the second round, 10th overall, in the 2022 CFL Draft by the Toronto Argonauts and signed with the team on May 20, 2022.[5] He began the 2022 season on the injured list but made his professional debut on August 20, 2022, against the Calgary Stampeders.[6] He returned to the injured list shortly after, but returned near the end of the season, including making his first career start on October 29, 2022, against the Montreal Alouettes.[6] In total, Knight played in four regular season games where he recorded two defensive tackles.[2] He was on the injured list during the post-season, including when the Argonauts won the 109th Grey Cup championship.[6]
Knight made the team's active roster following training camp in 2023 and had three defensive tackles as a back-up in the season-opening game.[7] He played in 17 regular season games where he had 17 defensive tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.[8]
To begin the 2024 season, Knight was a healthy scratch on the one-game injured list, but dressed for the team's next two games without recording a statistic.[9] He was then moved to the practice roster on July 1, 2024.[10]
On July 3, 2024, Knight was claimed off of the Argonauts' practice roster by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[11]
Knight's father, DeWayne Knight, played in parts of four seasons as a linebacker for the Ottawa Rough Riders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and BC Lions.[12] [13]