'Relief': New faces on Riders take to field for first practice since cracking final roster
Wednesday marked the first practice of the 2023 Canadian Football League (CFL) season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and plenty of new faces were dawning the green and white.
That includes 2023 fourth round draft pick, Thomas Bertrand-Hudon who made the active roster in his first CFL season.
“Relief, I guess. It was a really stressful day. You basically just wait on the call. Actually don’t want to have any calls on cut days,” said Bertrand-Hudon.
“I didn’t get anything so it was a good relief. I called my parents, my girl and everything. It was very fun.”
Bertrand-Hudon had one carry for 18 yards in the team’s final pre-season matchup against the Bombers.
“I thought I did good, but I’m kind of a perfectionist,” he said.
“You know I was pin pointing the small errors I was making so of course I was stressed.”
For head coach Craig Dickenson, Bertrand-Hudon is a versatile asset on the field.
“We think he’s got great versatility. He’s a running back that can also play fullback. So he’s got the ability to play both,” he said.
“He’s a good special team’s player and he’s very intelligent so he picked up the offence quickly.”
Another new face that has cracked the active roster in his first CFL season is Bryan Cox Jr.
The Florida product has played 26 games in the National Football League (NFL) but also comes to the team with plenty of football knowledge as his dad his Bryan Keith Cox Sr. who currently is the assistant defensive lineman coach for the New York Giants and also played 12 seasons in the NFL.
“I’ve always been around the game. I’ve been around elite players all my life. So I kind of know the process of how that works, how those guys work, the work they put in,” Cox Jr. said.
“I mean I lean on him all the time for just small, simple things, regular life advice, football advice. We just talk about everything.”
Cox dealt with an Achilles injury following his time in the NFL but jumped at the opportunity to give the CFL a chance even though he did not know much about it.
“I honestly had no idea what to expect. I’ve never been to Canada in my life. So it was different coming here and everything but it’s been a great experience, great people, beautiful place. I’m still learning the demographics [of the game],” he explained.
While some players were just hoping to crack the final roster, others had a guaranteed spot like quarterback Trevor Harris.
But Harris will still reflect on his days as a rookie in the CFL.
“I was walking up the stairs with Zach Collaros, you know we both knew Ricky Ray was going to start, and our GM stopped us and said we’re going to keep both of you guys on the roster. Didn’t bring us in [to the office] or anything. But I remember just thinking ‘Man this is amazing,’” he explained.
“I was coming off Arena Football and making 400 bucks a week, substitute teaching making 60 bucks a day. So I was like cool $52,000, this is sick.”
But Harris also reflected on the opportunity to be the face of the Roughriders this season.
“That’s not to say I didn’t celebrate this year,” he said.
“It’s one of the best days of year when you’ve made the team for week one, and you’ve made the opening day roster and that of course was a celebration for me as well this year. So I celebrated in that with them.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.