Latest news with #CalgaryStampeders
National Post
4 hours ago
- Business
- National Post
Defensive backs at Calgary Stampeders camp: Secondary a 'work in progress'
Article content Dave Dickenson calls his secondary 'a work in progress.' Article content Article content Whether that morphs into a football masterpiece on the back-end of the Calgary Stampeders defence has yet to be determined. Article content But the boss has brought a new crew of defensive backs, including a few artists, to help transform what was a sub-par unit last year into what he hopes is a better bunch in the 2025 Canadian Football League campaign — and beyond. Article content Article content 'I think it's going to be a work in progress, meaning I don't know who the starters are,' admitted Dickenson of piecing together his secondary during Stamps camp, which has now come to a close with the season-opener slated for Saturday against the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats at McMahon Stadium (5 p.m., TSN, CHQR 770 AM/107.3 FM the Edge). Article content 'But let's just say our free agents haven't disappointed at all,' continued Dickenson. 'And so I really think they've been fit in seamlessly as hard workers, character guys, leadership guys …' Article content At the heart of that statement are a couple of prized off-season acquisitions in Damon Webb and Derrick Moncrief, both decorated CFL veterans. Article content Webb is a 2024 CFL all-star defensive back, while Moncrief was a league all-star at the same position in 2019. Article content With the Stamps, both are projected leaders for the season ahead with different duties at hand from when they earned those all-star accolades — with Webb now at safety, and Moncrief sneaking up to play strong-side linebacker. Article content
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Tommy Stevens feels at home in Roughriders' quarterback room
Despite being on a new team this year, quarterback Tommy Stevens is already comfortable in his surroundings. After signing with the Roughriders during free agency this off-season, the short-yardage specialist joined a club that already featured fellow quarterback and former Calgary Stampeders teammate Jake Maier — who was acquired by the Riders earlier in the off-season — along with offensive coordinator Marc Mueller, who was Calgary's quarterbacks coach for Stevens' first three seasons. In fact, reuniting with Mueller — who is in his second year as Saskatchewan's play caller — was one of the reasons Stevens chose the Roughriders in free agency. Playing in front of Saskatchewan's fan base as a member of the home team was another. 'I'd be lying to you if I told you I wasn't fired up that this was going to be a possibility,' Stevens said as the Roughriders prepare for Thursday's season opener (7 p.m., TSN) against the Ottawa Redblacks at Mosaic Stadium. 'Glad it all worked out. Really happy to be here. I mean, this place is incredible. I think it's nicer every time I'm in here. 'I'm glad I won't be a visitor in here. I'm glad this will be home.' In his three years with the Stampeders, the 28-year-old Stevens developed into one of the CFL's elite short-yardage specialists. Last year, he rushed the ball 60 times for 237 yards — a four-yard average — with 10 rushing touchdowns, which was tied for the league lead. Along with Maier, Stevens joins a quarterback in Saskatchewan room that also features veteran starter Trevor Harris and second-year pivot Jack Coan, who played college football at Notre Dame before coming to Saskatchewan in 2024. 'Obviously me and Jake have been pretty close for, I guess this will be going on the fourth season we've been together,' said Stevens. 'But coming in with the new guys with Trev and Jack, they've been great. 'I think that's super important. And especially in our room — only one guy can play, right. So being able to have that kind of relationship, being able to bounce ideas off of each other. 'Obviously, Trevor's been around for a while, and Jack's played some big-time football too, so just being able to hear their perspective on things, how they go about their process, how they read certain plays, what they think that we should do on whatever it may be, it's been helpful.' For Mueller, the familiarity of having worked with Maier and Stevens in the past has helped the cohesion in the quarterback room this year. 'It's a lot easier because I know those guys,' said Mueller. 'They work well together and they work well with the group and they're both smart guys, and they work hard. 'I think that the whole group, all four guys, have been really good to work with and be around. It's a really good group.' While Stevens got limited action in Saskatchewan's two pre-season games — throwing the ball three times while also rushing three time in the first exhibition game before getting one rush attempt that was negated due to a penalty in the second game — the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Indianapolis native is expected to be used in the regular season any time the Roughriders are facing a short-yardage situation. Without giving away any playbook secrets, he'll also likely get into the game with other packages designed around his running ability. 'No matter who you have in there, whether it's a different left guard or a different centre, you want to try to make them be the best versions of themselves,' said Mueller. 'And you want them to feel like there's plays in the game plan that highlight their best skills. 'So, whether it's Tommy or whether it's one of the receivers or the right tackle or (running back A.J. Ouellette), you want to get their best foot forward and put in plays that they feel will work.' Offensive lineman Jacob Brammer (back) missed Monday's practice after leaving Sunday's workout midway through with an injury. However, it doesn't appear to be serious according to head coach Corey Mace. 'Just being smart here,' said Mace. 'It was just a little tweak yesterday wo we're just being smart with it so he can be available for game day.' American rookie Payton Collins practised at left tackle with Trevon Tate moving to left guard and Zack Fry shifting to right guard in place of Brammer for many of the offensive reps. 'Collins has had an excellent camp,' said Mace. 'And we want to make sure that, if Jacob's not practising, that we get quality reps with guys who have potential.' tshire@ Roughriders hit the field for Day 1 of regular season practice Roughriders make final roster cuts; finalize active roster for 2025 The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Stampeders celebrate arrival of new season with FanFest at McMahon Stadium
The Calgary Stampeders are hosting their annual Fanfest Saturday at McMahon Stadium until 2 p.m. The Calgary Stampeders don't launch the regular season until June 7, but threw open the gates to McMahon Stadium for their annual Fanfest on Saturday morning. It's taking place Saturday at McMahon Stadium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fans can meet players -- both the present roster and a few Stampeders alumni -- take a selfie with the Grey Cup and enjoy plenty of free activities, including interactive inflatables, face painting, games, giveaways and other stuff. Fanfest is on until 2 p.m. For free tickets and information, go here.
National Post
3 days ago
- General
- National Post
10 thoughts: Top takeaways from Roughriders' pre-season finale
Article content With the Saskatchewan Roughriders electing to rest many veterans in Friday's regular season finale against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, it was a chance for some of the rookies and depth players to showcase their talent. Article content Article content And while the Riders waited until the last minute of the game to finally reach the end zone for the first time in the pre-season, there were some strong performances from the Green and White, and a few other performances which could make Saturday's roster cuts a little easier to figure out. Article content 10 thoughts Article content There's no way Jake Maier doesn't earn the backup quarterback spot regardless of what happened in the pre-season, right? The former Calgary Stampeders started didn't look outstanding in either pre-season game, but he's shown in 45 career starts that he can play in the CFL. Jack Coan is worth keeping around to develop because he's looked better in his second season already. But is he willing to sit on the practice roster for the year though if that's the case? Despite ample opportunity to do so, Mario Anderson didn't lock down Saskatchewan's backup running back job. Neither did Trent Pennix. While Anderson scored Saskatchewan's only touchdown of the pre-season, he had a fumble which was returned for a touchdown in the first half and averaged just three yards per carry while Pennix averaged 4.25. Maybe A.J. Ouellette can stay healthy for all 18 games with Canadian Thomas Bertrand-Hudon carrying any extra workload. After rejoining the team this week, punter Joe Couch had a strong night as he made his case to win the starting job over Bailey Flint. Couch's first punt went 53 yards before the Australian made an outstanding tackle on the return of his second punt, which was called back due to a penalty. After Flint averaged 40.6 yards per punt last week, Couch averaged 45.2 yards per punt on six punts on Friday. His familiarity with the team, having spent the 2024 season on the practice roster, could give him an upper hand for the starting gig in 2025. Speaking of special teams, the battle to earn Saskatchewan's primary returner was a key battle to watch in the second pre-season game. Veteran Mario Alford and rookie Drae McCray, who played great in the first pre-season game, both got reps in the first half before McCray went down with an injury late in the second quarter and did not return. You've got to be healthy to make the team, so this is something certainly worth monitoring. Sure-handed receiver Mitch Picton had a nice grab in the first quarter to put the Riders in scoring position. The Regina product also had a nice first-down catch in the second half. Overall, he led the team with seven catches. He could easily be a starter in the CFL. Could this be the year? As good as Picton was on Friday, American receiver Joe Robustelli was even better. In the first half, Robostelli caught a pass for 48 yards which would have been even better if he didn't step out of bounds. Robustelli also had a 30-yard gain in the second half while appearing to injure his shoulder. After going to the sidelines with the trainers, Robustelli wanted to get right back into the game. The best ability is availability and after spending much of the year on Saskatchewan's practice roster in 2024, Robustelli has had a strong training camp and is making a case to earn a roster spot this year. Daniel Wiebe, Saskatchewan's eighth-round draft pick this year, continues to make plays. The University of Saskatchewan Huskies standout had three catches for 21 yards on Friday, including one reception where he broke a tackle or two to increase the gain. Wiebe was also called upon to return four punts and a kickoff with McCray injured. While he has one more year of university eligibility, he's making a case to stick around the big club this year. Rookie American defensive back Eddie Heckard made sure he hauled in an interception in the second quarter, with plenty of time to match the catch on a deep pass by Chris Streveler. Although there's no room to earn a starting defensive back spot, Heckard, who signed this off-season, could have earned a backup or practice roster spot. There were also a couple of defensive backs who might have played themselves out of a roster spot with the performances on Friday. Saskatchewan has some good depth at linebacker. With Jameer Thurman, C.J. Avery and C.J. Reavis all getting the night off, Americans Aubrey Miller Jr. Antoine Brooks Jr. and Braxton Hill were noticeable in a good way for the Green and White while Canadians A.J. Allen, Nick Wiebe and Jayden Dalke — who transitioned to linebacker from safety this year — also looked good. Saskatchewan has clearly found some depth at linebacker, while also giving them an option to start a Canadian if need be. Also, let's assume the Roughriders are just saving their touchdowns for the regular season. After failing to find the end zone in the first pre-season game last weekend in Winnipeg with many starters suiting up, the Roughriders were nearly held out of the end zone for a second straight game on Friday night. If this was the regular season, it might be worth taking about, but it's pre-season so let's see how things go when the games matter for real. Article content Article content Article content
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Crestwood credentials: Elks coach values infill style, city access
Article content Former Calgary Stampeders assistant head coach Mark Kilam was hired by the Edmonton Elks in late 2024 to reinvigorate the storied Canadian Football League club. The 45-year-old has already made several trades, like Calgary red and white for Edmonton green and gold. The title of assistant for that of head coach. Personally, a suburban existence in Calgary has been sidelined for an inner-city lifestyle in Edmonton's Crestwood community. Article content Article content Article content 'When we lived in Calgary, we lived in a beautiful community called Tuscany. My kids walked to school and Halloween was like Mardi Gras because we would just take over the street. It was awesome, but our kids are now teenagers and we wanted to change up our vibe a bit,' says Kilam, whose family will join him in Edmonton at the end of the school year. 'I lived in the Lansdowne area until Grade 2 and when I attended university I lived off Whyte Avenue, which was a blast.' Article content Article content The one-time linebacker for the University of Alberta Golden Bears and his wife, Andrea, who grew up in St. Albert, had three main requirements for their new Edmonton abode. An inner-city location was first. Crestwood, an intimate mid-century community located east of 149th Street and bounded by the river valley, MacKinnon Ravine and MacKenzie Ravine was an easy choice. The community of about 3,000 people is only minutes west of downtown Edmonton and an easy drive to Commonwealth Stadium. Article content 'It was important to my wife to have space for people to visit us. Obviously, we have a lot of connections in Calgary, who have suddenly become Elks fans overnight,' he says with a smile. 'Now we have space to do that.' Article content Their home, which was the first of eight homes that they viewed in a single-day shopping trip, is a 2,300-square-foot, five-bedroom, two-storey front-garage model with an open concept main floor, finished basement and deck off the dining area. The 1950s-era structure that was once on that particular lot had been torn down and the current home was built in 2017 by what Kilam understands to have been an Italian builder. Article content 'Every appliance in here is Italian. I had to google what all the oven codes meant,' he says. Article content The Kilam's third requirement was access to schools that fit their daughters' interests. The eldest is an academic and it was important she continue her planned course load. The youngest is sports-minded and wanted a basketball community that aligned with her goals.
