Mitchell Blair
Paul Woldu might not get the ink that Kory Sheets and Rey Williams are getting for the Saskatchewan Roughriders 5-0 start this season, but make no doubt about it, Woldu has done his thing as well and it’s one of the reasons why the team is the lone unbeaten in the CFL heading into this week’s game in Calgary.
The 28 year old Reginan has once again proven himself to be one of the top special teams players in the CFL as he goes into Friday’s game with nine tackles, just one behind league leader Rolly Lumbala of B-C.
Being a special teams player isn’t easy in the world of football when you are hurtling yourself down the field like a missile looking to stop the returner. Woldu says there isn’t just one characteristic that you need to be a successful special teams player, but he says there is one thing you have to have when you go out on the field.
“You have to be fearless—-100 percent fearless,” Woldu said after a recent practice. “You have to be fearless, but you have to be smart. Being a special teams player isn’t for everyone because you have to have the right attitude. You have to know you are going to fly into someone or that someone is going to fly into you. You have to be reckless and you have to be ready to sacrifice yourself. I’m not very big so I have to be tough and I have to be physical. You have to be a good open field tackler and you have to show a lot of grit and take a lot of pride in what you do.”
Woldu’s play on the field is something that has become infectious. Special teams coach Bob Dyce says its nice having someone like him to work with.
“He has really impressed me,” Dyce confided. “He gives a lot of effort and intensity on each play and shows a lot of discipline on each and every play. We have a lot of guys like Graig Newman, Craig Butler and Sam Hurl that can do that, but it shows me how serious he takes his job when he does what he does each and every time out there.”
The one thing that might impress Dyce the most is the way Woldu relishes his role and tries to make an impact every time he steps between the lines.
“He’s a real student of the game and he’s very smart, “Dyce said”. However, he takes a lot of pride out there when he gets his chance to play. Special teams get about 40 snaps a game and that’s like a game to Paul. He gives it all on each and every play and he’s been rewarded this year by making some tackles.”
When Woldu graduated from Leboldus High School in Regina and went on to play with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, he had no idea that his CFL career would lead him down the path he is on. Taken in the 5th round of the 2008 draft by the Montreal Alouettes, Woldu quickly found out that if he was going to become a full time CFL’er, he would have to make his mark on special teams. It was a challenge he was more than ready to accept.
“My whole goal not only on the field, but on life is to be as good as I can be with the role I’ve been given,” Woldu stated. “I would love to be the best defensive back in the CFL, but I know that my only time on the field is as a special teamer unless I get an opportunity through injury or something else. My job is to be on special teams and I want to be the best special teams player in this league. If doing that helps this team to its ultimate goal then I am doing what I am supposed to at a high level.”
Woldu and the rest of the Rider coverage teams will have their hands full Friday night with Larry Taylor as they walk into Calgary for a big Western division showdown with the Stampeders. While the Riders are 5-0, the Stamps are right behind at 4-1 so this could put a little breathing room between them and the teams that are right on their heels.
