Mitchell Blair
Rob Bagg will be known for someone who has fought the way to keep his CFL career flourishing.
In Sunday’s victory over the Montreal Alouettes, Bagg caught a touchdown pass in his 100th CFL game, all with the Riders.
It has been a battle for Bagg to the landmark 100th game having to deal with one injury after another. He has has never let his love of the game and the confidence of the organization be overtaken by the bad hand he has been dealt. “I am thankful for this organization to stick with me the way they have. I am extremely grateful that they stayed with me because I missed 36 games due to injury, but they believed I could come back and I try to pay them back every day. I’ve been blessed and fortunate over how I’ve been treated and I am extremely proud to wear Green and White.” Bagg said.
Bagg’s journey has been well-documented. The 30 year old came to the team in 2008 after signing as an undrafted free agent from Queen’s University. Near the end of the heartbreaking 2009 Grey Cup, he suffered a broken collarbone and that was followed by knee injuries that took the better part of two seasons from him. It looked like his 2013 season would be cut short when he suffered what was believed to be another major knee injury and the field in tears. Later Bagg found out the injury was not serious and he missed only a couple of games. Later that season, he was able to contribute to the Grey Cup win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a night at Mosaic Stadium he and the rest of the Rider Nation will never forget.
He followed that up by being the team’s leading receiver in 2014 and his 2015 has been a great one heading into Saturday’s game in Vancouver. Bagg has 34 catches for 387 yards and four touchdowns. For the first time in his career, Bagg has also added a pair of rushing scores. The touchdown catch last week came from a pass from Kevin Glenn, it was a moment Glenn was happy to be a part of.
“I’m glad to have been able to throw him a touchdown pass and be considered a team-mate of his.” Glenn said. “Watching him from afar, I have seen what he has gone through. I would see him get those injuries and I would go ‘again’, but he would keep coming back and that shows how tough he is. Now that I have seen him in person, I see why he has been so successful because he is a determined and hard-working guy so to see him succeed is great.”
Many players have an inkling to go home at some point during their career, but Bagg says while Ontario is nice, he has no desire of wanting to play elsewhere at this time saying his football heart is in Saskatchewan.
“Regina is my second-home,” Bagg states. “I obviously look forward to going home in the winter and see family and escape the cold a little bit, but it doesn’t take long before I start to miss this place. There are a lot of great people that make this province what it is and while I am from Ontario, this is a place that is close to my heart and it is truly my second home.”
