Notebook: Quinn van Gylswyk’s patience is rewarded

Almost a full calendar year has passed since Quinn van Gylswyk appeared in a CFL game with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

On Aug. 13, 2016, van Gylswyk filled in for an injured Tyler Crapigna and handled the kicking duties in the Roughriders’ 19-10 loss to the visiting Calgary Stampeders. It was the only game van Gylswyk played during the 2016 regular season — his first in the CFL.

On Saturday, the 26-year-old product of Victoria again will replace Crapigna as Saskatchewan takes on the host B.C. Lions. It will be van Gylswyk’s first appearance since that game against Calgary.

“It’s trying (when you have to wait your turn), but I’m doing pretty well,” van Gylswyk said Wednesday at Mosaic Stadium. “I’m pretty laidback. It’s not bad at all, just collecting cheques and doing my thing.”

Since being selected by Saskatchewan in the third round (26th overall) of the 2016 CFL draft, van Gylswyk has spent a lot of his time on the Roughriders’ injured list. He has practised regularly, so special-teams co-ordinator Craig Dickenson doesn’t think the lack of game action will hinder van Gylswyk on Saturday.

“We put a lot of emphasis on competition and really making practice as game-like as we can,” Dickenson said. “He may miss a kick — I’m not saying he’s going to make them all — but I don’t think it’ll be because of nerves and I don’t think it’ll be because of him not having rhythm and timing with the group he’s with.

“He has got a lot of kicks under his belt with (long-snapper Jorgen Hus and holder Josh Bartel), so I’m pretty confident in his ability to do the job.”

Van Gylswyk hit one of his three field-goal tries in his lone appearance in 2016. He was 4-for-4 in the 2017 pre-season but then watched Saskatchewan’s first five regular-season games while Crapigna handled the Roughriders’ placements.

“It’s not a competition,” van Gylswyk said of his relationship with Crapigna, who was put on the six-game injured list after injuring a leg in Saturday’s 38-27 victory over the Toronto Argonauts.

“We’re buddies. He has been kicking lights out and I’m here just to support him. I’m just getting a shot now, which is awesome for me.”

Equally awesome for van Gylswyk is the fact that he’ll be playing in his home province.

He played his university football at UBC, so some of the people who watched him perform at that level will be on hand on Saturday.

“It couldn’t have worked any better,” van Gylswyk said. “I love playing in BC Place. I’m really looking forward to it. Family, friends — everyone’s going to be there.”

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The Roughriders announced the signing of national receiver Devon Bailey on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old product of Mississauga, Ont., began his CFL career in 2014 with the Edmonton Eskimos, who selected him in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2014 draft. He signed with the Montreal Alouettes as a free agent in April, but was released after training camp.

The 6-foot-5, 202-pounder out of St. Francis Xavier University caught 33 passes for 469 yards and two touchdowns in 39 regular-season games with the Eskimos. He won a Grey Cup with them in 2015, when current Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones was Edmonton’s bench boss.

“He’s a big, long athlete that we look for,” Jones said Wednesday. “(Dickenson) likes him on special teams. He’s a very strong guy.

“We had him in Edmonton and he knows our offence. We’re out there and he’s able to pick up on what we’re doing because he knows the terminology. Right away, if we had an injury to any of our Canadian receivers, he’d be able to step in.”

Saskatchewan also announced it had added international defensive tackle Antonio Longino to the practice roster. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound product of East Cleveland, Ohio, attended Arizona State University and had 164 tackles, 29 tackles for losses, 11.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 34 career games with the Sun Devils.

As well, the Roughriders announced the release of national defensive tackle Linden Gaydosh. Picked first overall in the 2013 CFL draft by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Gaydosh joined the Roughriders in a trade in October of 2016 but never appeared in a game with them.

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The game Saturday will be the first of five in a row against West Division opponents for the Roughriders.

Alas, Saskatchewan has lost six straight games to the Lions. The Roughriders’ most-recent victory against B.C. occurred Aug. 24, 2014, when they won 20-16 in Vancouver.

In six games since then, the Lions have won three times in Regina and three times in Vancouver. They’ve outscored the Roughriders 213-127 in those contests.

Those figures don’t concern Roughriders defensive back Ed Gainey.

“It’s a new year; all that other stuff really doesn’t even matter, to be honest,” he said. “Just as long as we go out there and we’re the best team that night, then it’ll speak for itself.”

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The Roughriders may have to contend with receiver Chris Williams, who is eligible to play after spending the first six weeks of the regular season on the Lions’ injured list.

Williams is a potential game-breaking receiver — and Jones knows it.

“If he’s back and he’s healthy, he’s a very dynamic player with the ball in his hands, which makes their receiver screens and things that they do even more dangerous,” the Roughriders’ defensive co-ordinator said. “I hate to even think about it with both he and (Chris Rainey) on the field at the same time.”