EDMONTON — It’s a good thing when a goalie stands on his or her head in a hockey game.
It’s not a good thing when a receiver does it after getting upended by a tackler in a football game.
That was the situation Saskatchewan Roughriders slotback Naaman Roosevelt found himself in during the third quarter of Saturday’s CFL game against the visiting Calgary Stampeders.
After catching a pass across the middle, Roosevelt was hit low by Calgary defensive back Ciante Evans. Roosevelt went head over heels, landed on the top of his head, flipped once and landed on his backside.
Stunned by the headstand, Roosevelt went to the bench and then to the Roughriders’ locker room. He eventually returned to Saskatchewan’s sideline in uniform, but he didn’t play another down in the contest.
“My head was fine — I did the concussion test and all that was fine — but it was more my neck,” Roosevelt said this week. “The day after, it was a little sore and a little stiff, but it calmed down after a couple of days. I’ve been feeling good.”
Roosevelt was back at practice Monday and is slated to play Thursday against the host Edmonton Eskimos (8 p.m., CKRM, TSN).
Roughriders fans no doubt held their collective breath after seeing Roosevelt’s one-point landing, given the receiver’s injury history. Roosevelt has yet to complete a full season with Saskatchewan since joining the team in 2015.
He began that campaign on the practice roster before being promoted to the active roster in the ninth game. In 2016, he made it to the Roughriders’ 11th game before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Last season, concussions limited him to 14 regular-season games, although he did return for the playoffs.
“The past two years, (missing games due to injury) has been hard,” Roosevelt said. “Going into the off-season, I focused on trying to get my body right and trying to take care of myself a little bit more.
“I’m blessed to be able to play this game so every day, I’m going to play hard and whatever happens, happens.”
“This year, I’ve been trying to take care of myself more but things still happen. I just have to keep playing and understand that, if something does happen, I’ll have to try to come back from it.”
As an inside receiver, Roosevelt is bound to take some big hits. Some of them haven’t had any effect on him while others have put him on the sideline for varying lengths of time.
At no point, though, has Roosevelt ever wondered if fate isn’t on his side.
“I know things happen,” he said. “Some stuff you can’t control. I don’t think I’ll ever fall like (Saturday) again, but certain things happen like that.
“I’m blessed to be able to play this game so every day, I’m going to play hard and whatever happens, happens.”
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Bad things have happened to the Roughriders’ punt-cover team in the past two games.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ Frankie Williams returned a punt 98 yards for a touchdown against Saskatchewan on July 19. But the Roughriders limited Williams to minus-three yards on his other three returns — and Christion Jones’ 61-yard punt-return TD offset Williams’ effort in Saskatchewan’s 31-20 victory.
On Saturday, Terry Williams returned a Josh Bartel punt 78 yards for a major as part of Calgary’s 24-point first quarter.
“We take pride in what we do, so of course getting scored on twice in two games is definitely something that we never want to happen again,” Roughriders special-teamer Alexandre Gagne said.
“Sometimes it’s just bad breaks that we get. It’s not necessarily one thing in particular. We all just have to do it better in all of the units.”
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The Roughriders’ defence enters Week 8 tied for fourth in the league with 12 sacks, including eight by defensive end Charleston Hughes.
Hughes took down former Calgary teammate Bo Levi Mitchell twice in Saturday’s game, fulfilling a wish Hughes had after being traded by the Stampeders in February.
Now, Roughriders defensive end Willie Jefferson gets his shot at a former teammate in Eskimos pivot Mike Reilly.
“It’s a really good feeling (getting the chance to sack Reilly) because you know that, over the years in practice, you beat the offensive lineman and then you have to pull away from the quarterback,” Jefferson said. “I’m pretty sure it’s the same way Charleston felt last week going against Bo. Here we go.”
The Roughriders will face a stiff test trying to get to Reilly, though; the Eskimos have allowed a league-low four sacks through six games.
Saskatchewan head coach-GM Chris Jones said the credit for that went to both Reilly and the Eskimos’ O-line. Reilly’s ability to stand in the pocket and throw the ball even while getting hit makes him tough to sack.
“He’s a tremendous quarterback,” Jones said. “He’s playing at as high a level as anybody that I’ve ever seen in the league.”
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Hughes spent the first 10 seasons of his CFL career with Calgary, but he was traded to Hamilton and then Saskatchewan in quick succession on Feb. 2.
Judging by his league-leading sack total in 2018, Hughes has enjoyed the change of scenery.
“At this point, I feel like I’m doing what I’ve been asked to do and making all the plays that need to be made,” he said Wednesday after arriving at Commonwealth Stadium.
“I’m gelling with my teammates quite well and really getting very accustomed with the city and the small-town living. I’ve been walking in the prairies and doing all kinds of fun stuff with gophers and stuff.”
