'I still love football': Riders' LB Micah Teitz excited for return after missing entire 2022 season

Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker, Micah Teitz, is excited to be back with his teammates on the field after missing the entire 2022 season due to a groin injury.

“I’m really happy to be back and it’s super exciting to get back with the guys after a long winter. Just really happy to get going again,” Teitz said after day three of training camp.

Teitz injured his groin in the west semi-final against Calgary in the 2021 season leading to him eventually getting surgery done in June of 2022.

“I did some pretty significant damage in the Calgary game. Then throughout the offseason, it was kind of meeting with staff, working to get it right, and trying to fix it. It just wasn’t getting to where it needed to be [leading to surgery],” Teitz explained.

Despite the injury in 2021, Teitz was named the Riders’ Most Outstanding Canadian that season. However, given the shortened nature of the 2021 season due to the pandemic, Teitz has not played a full season since 2019.

“We only had 14 games [in 2021] and now I have to do 18 plus the playoff push. So I’m just trying to become a better pro. Just get my body right for each and every week,” he said.

“It’s been a long road to recovery for him and I think he’s ready to roll,” Riders head coach, Craig Dickenson said.

The return of Teitz is crucial, as he also is a strong Canadian presence for the team which plays a role in the team’s ratio for Canadian starters.

“It’s important and he knows it. He’s got great value as a special team’s player and as a starting linebacker. But we have to get him right again, it’s been almost a full year since he played,” said Dickenson.

“I’m a big proud Canadian guy, proudly from Alberta and I love playing for the Riders so it means a lot to be a Canadian [player],” said Teitz.

Even though Teitz had to watch his team from the sidelines last season, the Calgary product still put in the work as if he was a part of the on-field performance and his love for the game never wavered.

“It’s tough when they’re all practicing and I’m out training, doing rehab. I would go to the meetings all year, never see myself in the film, but I still love football. So it was nice to be in the building [with the team] all year,” Teitz said.

The former University of Calgary Dino is also lending some wisdom to younger players such as rookie defensive back Jaxon Ford. Ford is a former University of Regina Ram and a 2023 Riders draft pick.

“We were talking yesterday just like CIS football and stuff, where we’re from. He’s a really good get and I look forward to learning from him. He plays well, he goes deep sometimes, reading those receivers out there and stuff like that,” Ford explained on what he’s learned from Teitz.

“We talked about USports. I like to give the Rams guys a hard time. I don’t think I lost to the Rams too many times,” laughed Teitz. “But he’s going awesome out here. I’ve seen him make a few really good plays out here so it’s good to see him flying around and playing.”