Words by Daniella Ponticelli
Three exceptional Rider Grey Cup champions are the newest inductees into the SaskTel Plaza of Honour.
Weston Dressler, Mike McCullough and Ken Miller were recognized by the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation, alongside the Plaza of Honour Committee, at a special event Thursday night inside Mosaic Stadium.
“It’s pretty special to be able to go in with McCullough, a guy who I played many years alongside, and coach Miller, my first head coach in this league … we’d run through a brick wall for that guy,” Dressler said.
The inductees will be honoured during a special halftime ceremony at Friday’s home game, aptly themed Rider Legends Night.
Weston Dressler | #7 Receiver 2008-2015
Prior to Thursday’s induction, Dressler had his fair share of memorable honours — including seeing his face on a bag of “All-Dressler” potato chips.
“It’s pretty surreal, just like what was going on type of thing. And people actually went out and bought those chips,” he laughed.
“At the end of the day…all those proceeds went towards the children’s hospital and it was just so cool to be something to be a part of something like that and help give back to this to this great community.”
Dressler, from Bismarck, North Dakota, attended the University of North Dakota before making his CFL debut on June 28, 2008. That year, he was awarded the league’s most outstanding rookie.
Dressler played eight of his 11 CFL seasons as a Rider, seeing action in 123 regular-season games and nine playoff games, including two Grey Cup appearances in 2010 and 2013.
“It’s just kind of a special moment and something that I never really thought of as a as I came here in 2008, as a young kid, fresh out of school and just wanting to play some football,” Dressler said of his induction into the Plaza of Honour.
The 37-year-old is third all-time in Riders receiving yards and receptions with 7,792 yards and 538 catches. Fifth all-time in touchdowns for the Riders with 50.
Dressler also had five seasons with 1000+ receiving yards and led the league with 13 touchdown receptions in 2012.He was named Western All-Star in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013, and CFL All-Star in 2012 and 2013.
MIKE MCCULLOUGH | #45 linebacker
Mike McCullough sees his induction into the Plaza of Honour as win for role players.
“I got a couple of buddies who were in the same boat who went in, like Neal Hughes. We’re kind of similar players and seeing him go in, then I go in, it’s a real coup for us middle-of-the-road guys.
McCullough was born in Kingston, Ontario and attended St. Francis Xavier University before being selected in the third round, 23rd overall, in the 2003 CFL Draft.
The 42-year-old played his entire CFL career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He saw action in 185 games — including 110 straight — and is ranked 17th all-time in games played for the franchise.
“There’s always opportunities to move, and earlier in my career I could have, but just something always drew me here. To be able to have 11 years here, it’s pretty rare” said McCullough, who still resides in Regina.
Rider Nation also appreciated seeing No. 45 in four Grey Cup games between 2007 and 2013, winning the championship in those bookend years.
During that time, the Canadian became the first-ever recipient of the Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Trophy in 2010.
McCullough is second all-time in Rider special teams tackles with 113. Over his decade-long career, he recorded 187 tackles to rank 24th all-time in Roughriders history.
“The biggest thing with me was my brain. I wasn’t overly fast or strong, but I always knew where I supposed to be,” he said.
KEN MILLER | Offensive Coordinator, Head Coach, Vice President of Football Operations – Builder 2007-2011
Ken Miller teared up when he received the call about his Plaza of Honour induction.
“When I think about a lifetime invested in coaching and then being away now for 11 years … when we flew in (this week) it has such a feeling of returning to a dear place like home,” he said.
The Dalles, Oregon native began coaching in 1966 and came to the CFL in 2002. Five years later, he was hired as the Roughriders’ offensive coordinator.
That year, 2007, the Saskatchewan Roughriders led the league in touchdowns scored and quarterback Kerry Joseph won the league’s Most Outstanding Player award.
Miller was named the head coach of the Riders in 2008, leading the team to a first-place finish in 2009 and a back-to-back Grey Cup appearance in 2010.
He resigned as head coach that year, but remained as vice president of football operations, taking over as head coach midway through the 2011 season.
“We had tremendous success and we had tremendous disappointment. And just from one extreme to the polar opposite,” he said. “But I think that’s what gives life so much meaning, that makes the highs high. And maybe that’s what makes the lows feel so low, is that that those kinds of situations.”
Miller had 36 regular-season wins and three post-season wins in his four years at the helm, which overlapped with Dressler and McCollough.
“They’re great leaders. But really, their strongest point was they were great teammates,” he said. “We can all aspire to be the kind of teammate in our life, that they were to our team.”
The 70-year-old now resides in Asheville, North Carolina, and said Friday’s game will honour the totality of the club’s success — not just the inductees.
“When we applaud, we’ll applaud the organization’s success and the success of this team in this province,” he said.
Dressler, McCullough and Miller will be honoured in a special halftime ceremony on Legends Night, presented by Purolator on Friday, August 19. Tickets are available here.
Fans can also get autographs from all three inductees at Coors Light Party in the Park between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
