Full circle moment for Cody Fajardo if Riders clinch cross-over berth
A Saskatchewan Roughrider win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday could move the team one step closer to a post-season berth in the eastern division cross-over for the first time since 2017, the year the Riders lost to the Cody Fajardo’s former squad, the Toronto Argonauts, in the eastern final.
“I stood on the sideline (most of) the game, kind of cold then all of a sudden we’re on the 1 yard line and they say, ‘Hey Cody, go get in and win us this football game,’” said Fajardo.
Fajardo scored a 1-yard touchdown for the Toronto Argonauts in the 2017 eastern-final against the Saskatchewan Roughriders with 23 seconds to go in the game. It booked the Argos ticket to the 2017 Grey Cup where the team came out on top in the Championship game.
Now Fajardo finds himself on the other side of the ball looking to clinch a spot in the eastern cross-over but for the Riders this time.
“No one’s ever made it to the Grey Cup as a cross-over team and if we are the cross-over team, that would be our goal. It would be a pretty unique situation for us,” said Fajardo.
But it is not just Fajardo who was a member of the 2017 Grey Cup Championship squad that is now on the Riders roster. Offensive lineman, Jamal Campbell, was also a member of the team.
“It was just a magical and special year. We had a lot of guys that just believed in each other and you see that a lot here too,” said Campbell. “It’s kind of interesting that we could be in that situation and just have guys like Cody that have been through it, I think that is going to help us.”
As of right now, the Argonauts are in first in the east division with a 8-6 record which could mean the Riders face them in the playoffs once again in a cross-over situation.
“Let’s just say we hope that it’s not like the eastern final in 2017. We just hope it’s reversed this time,” said Campbell.
But the journey to earning a spot in the playoff cross-over scenario begins with a win over Hamilton on Friday in order to finish ahead of them in the standings.
“It’s definitely ‘keep me awake’ important. I mean I’ve been up at 3 a.m. every night this week,” said defensive lineman Charleston Hughes when asked about the significance of this upcoming matchup.
Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. on TSN.
Correction
A previous version of this story stated the Roughriders would clinch a playoff spot if they win against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which was incorrect.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
How to overcome 'savings guilt' when you're living paycheque to paycheque
As the higher cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, many Canadians find they have even less left over at the end of every month to squirrel away for the future.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.