These are the 9 former Riders gunning for a Grey Cup in Regina
These are the 9 former Riders gunning for a Grey Cup in Regina
The Saskatchewan Roughriders may have failed to make the playoffs, but the green and white are not without some level of representation at the 2022 Grey Cup in Regina.
Nine former Riders are current members of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts, including four offensive linemen and the Bombers starting quarterback.
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Keion Adams (Rider from 2021-2022):
Defensive lineman Keion Adams is the most recent ex-Rider addition to either of the two teams, joining the Bombers in September 2022, one day after being released by Saskatchewan.
Adams was a member of the Riders for one and a half seasons, suiting up with Saskatchewan for a total of 15 regular season games. He’s had seven defensive tackles and one sack in three games since joining the Bombers.
Zach Collaros (Rider from 2018-2019):
Perhaps the most notorious Rider-turned-Bomber of them all, Zach Collaros became the Riders quarterback in 2018 following a trade with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
He started in 14 games for the Riders that season, leading them to a 10-4 record. An injury kept him out of the western semi-final loss to the Bombers, but the team would re-sign Collaros in the offseason. Stat wise, Collaros completed 61.3 per cent of his passes and threw for 2,999 yards.
The 2019 season started in disastrous fashion for Collaros, who was injured on the first possession of the season by Simoni Lawrence, his former teammate in Hamilton. Later that season, he was traded to Toronto for a conditional fourth-round pick, but never played a game for the Argos.
Collaros landed in Winnipeg after being traded a second time in October 2019. He proceeded to step in and lead the Blue Bombers to their first Grey Cup since 1990 and the first title of a potential three-peat should the chips fall in Winnipeg’s favour come Sunday.
Nick Demski (Rider from 2015-2017):
Winnipeg’s wayward son Nick Demski found his way home to blue and gold after spending his first few years in the CFL with Saskatchewan.
The University of Manitoba product’s last game for the Riders was the 2017 Labour Day Classic, when a broken foot cut his season short.
Demski left the Riders via free agency in the 2018 offseason.
Jemarcus Hardrick (Rider in 2015):
A CFL All-Star offensive lineman in 2021, Jermarcus Hardrick started in eight games for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2015 before leaving for the Bombers during free agency in 2016.
In addition to his league all-star nod last season, Hardrick is also a two-time West Division All-Star.
Willie Jefferson (Rider from 2016-2017):
Willie Jefferson came to the Riders from Edmonton in 2016, becoming a dominant defensive force during his three seasons in Saskatchewan.
Jefferson’s best season in green and white came in 2018, when he recorded 34 tackles, ten sacks and two interceptions – both returned for touchdowns.
He would sign with the Bombers via free agency in February 2019 ahead of a season that saw him named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
Patrick Neufeld (Rider from 2011-2013):
Regina-born University of Saskatchewan product Patrick Neufeld was drafted by his hometown Saskatchewan Roughriders in the fifth round of the 2010 CFL Draft, but opted to return to the Huskies that season.
The offensive lineman appeared in 37 games for the Riders until he was traded to Winnipeg in 2013 for defensive end Alex Hall and a second round pick as the Riders geared up for that year’s Grey Cup.
After battling injuries initially, Neufeld has stepped into his own with Winnipeg, becoming a CFL All-Star in 2021 while making starts at both right guard and right tackle.
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Darius Bladek (Rider from 2017-2019):
Another offensive lineman, Darius Bladek was a member of the Riders for three seasons before the COVID-19 hiatus, drafted in the second round of the 2017 CFL Draft.
Bladek signed with the Toronto Argonauts in 2020.
Philip Blake (Rider from 2018-2019):
Veteran offensive lineman Philip Blake joined the Riders via a trade with the Montreal Alouettes in 2018, spending two seasons in green and white and playing in a total of 20 games.
The now 36-year-old signed a free agent deal with the Argos in 2020.
Henoc Muamba (Rider from 2016-2017):
Henoc Muamba joined the Riders after returning from an NFL stint in 2016. In his first full season as a Rider, Muamba was voted Saskatchewan’s Most Outstanding Canadian with 82 defensive tackles, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles on the year.
Muamba signed with Montreal in 2018, putting up a career high 108 defensive tackles, second in the CFL. The following season, he’d be named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian.
He signed with the Argos following the CFL’s pandemic break in 2021.
Grey Cup 109 is set for Sunday, Nov. 20 at Mosaic Stadium.
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