ROBSERVATIONS: Ouellette set for stellar season … Rolan’s still rollin’ … training camp highlights … a purposeful pinpoint pass from the past
SASKATOON — With insincere apologies to Burton Cummings, The Guess Who and rankled readers everywhere: Today’s theme is “running back to Saskatoon.”
The running back: A.J. Ouellette, who has turned heads during Week 1 of Coors Light Training Camp at Griffiths Stadium on the University of Saskatchewan campus.
“The sky’s the limit for him,” said Saskatchewan Roughriders Head Coach Corey Mace, adding: “He’s still A.J. Ouellette.”
A streamlined version at that.
Ouellette, who weighed 225 pounds when the 2024 CFL season concluded, pared his always-muscular frame to 200 over the winter.
The punishing runner has strategically regained 10 pounds to add bulk that will help him withstand the rigours of a long and gruelling campaign.
After signing with Saskatchewan as a high-profile free agent, the 5-foot-8 Ouellette rushed for a team-high 558 yards in eight regular-season games.
The yardage total, extrapolated over a full 18 games, works out to an eye-popping 1,256.
Ouellette would love to reach that total — and enjoy his second 1,000-yard rushing season as a pro — in 2025 after being impeded by a hip injury as a first-year Roughrider.
“I’ve seen the guy go for 1,000 yards,” recalled Mace, who was the Defensive Co-ordinator for Toronto in 2023 when Ouellette amassed 1,009 yards in 15 games with the Argonauts.
“I’ve seen the guy peel himself off the ground and battle for his teammates. He’s going to do whatever it takes for this team to make sure that we can walk away with a win.
“I don’t want to put any expectations on him, outside of what he has for himself — and I know he holds himself to a high standard.
“We expect that when he’s on the field he will meet his standard, which will probably exceed what we have expectation-wise for him. He’s looking great.”
That is another positive sign for the Roughriders, who finished in second place, won a home playoff game and advanced to the Western Final in 2024 even though Ouellette was not 100 per cent.
(Even so, he still scored a 30-yard TD that put Saskatchewan ahead to stay in the Western Semi-Final win and, overall, reached the end zone three times in two post-season games.)
Now that “he’s still A.J. Ouellette,” what could that mean for the Roughriders?
“The guys would just be excited for him, just with the sacrifices and what he did for this team last year while kind of battling through some things,” Mace said.
“To see the work that he has put in during the off-season, everybody wants to celebrate each other’s success. For him to reap what he sows, so to speak, I think the guys would just be happy for him, and that’s awesome.”
Ouellette’s repertoire extends beyond accepting handoffs and punishing would-be tacklers.
“We’ve got Andrew (Harris, Running Backs Coach) here and he’s alllllways trying to get the running backs in the passing game, so he’s going to be drawing up some fun plays for us,” said Ouellette, 29.
“My role is to do what’s asked of me and still be the best pass blocker I can be and my productivity better in the run game.
“We were looking at my stats from a few years ago (compared) to this past year. We’re just trying to get back to some old numbers and just try to win every game.”
He doesn’t see any reason why those goals shouldn’t be met.
“We’ve got all the pieces we want,” Ouellette stated.
MILLIGAN THE MAGNIFICENT
With profuse apologies to Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Guess Who alumnus Randy Bachman: The Roughriders were “Rolan” down the highway to Saskatoon.
Since camp began, Rolan Milligan Jr. hasn’t done anything to deter anyone from touting him as the favourite to repeat as the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
That was the most prestigious honour received by Milligan Jr. in 2024, when he was also named the Roughriders’ Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player.
What can he do for an encore?
“I could say anything I want,” Mace replied. “He’s got a standard for himself.
“Whether it’s crazy or not, he’s not complacent with what he did last year. He identified a few things he wanted to work on this off-season and you’re seeing it translate already in camp.
“For Ro, the sky’s the limit. He’s an incredible player, incredible leader. He doesn’t even have to say anything and guys will follow him. Those are the kind of guys you like.”
Milligan Jr. isn’t especially interested in rehashing 2024, despite his scroll of accomplishments.
“Last season has nothing to do with this year,” the 30-year-old defensive halfback said. “In my opinion, as far as the accolades and all of that, that’s in the past. That’s 2024.
“I’m just trying to come out and be the best version of myself and to stack good days.”
HIGHLIGHT REEL
One nosy scribe’s highlights after the first six sessions of main training camp:
• Antoine Brooks Jr., who is lining up at cover linebacker and can also play defensive back, has been an interception machine.
• Marcus Sayles has been, well, Marcus Sayles. An All-CFL cornerback in 2024, he soared to make the most spectacular training-camp interception to date. In another workout, he had two pass knockdowns in a snap of three snaps.
• Micah Johnson, nearing 37, remains a formidable presence at defensive tackle. As someone who boasts Hall of Fame-calibre credentials, he could be excused for biding his time until the regular season. Anyone who lines up opposite him in May should be so lucky. The motor keeps running at full speed.
• Returning receivers Kian Schaffer-Baker, Samuel Emilus, KeeSean Johnson, Dohnte Meyers, Dhel Duncan-Busby and Joe Robustelli have all looked impressive. Ditto for first-year Roughrider Tommy Nield, who spent the past four seasons with Toronto.
• The University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ Daniel Wiebe, the Roughriders’ eighth-round Draft pick on April 29th, made a fingertip catch for a touchdown on a deep corner route.
• Brayden Misseri, an undrafted free agent from the Western Mustangs, treated the crowd to a spectacular leaping grab early in camp.
• All four quarterbacks — Trevor Harris, Jake Maier, Jack Coan and Tommy Stevens — bring tremendous skills to the table. Harris is the West’s reigning All-CFL quarterback. Maier’s passing ability has turned heads. Stevens is a short-yardage weapon — the likes of which Roughriders fans have not previously seen. With less fanfare, second-year Rider Jack Coan has enjoyed a fine camp while delivering accurate passes and demonstrating strong mechanics.
FOOD STUFF, PLUS DESSERT
• The food at the U of S cafeteria (known as the Marquis Culinary Centre) has been superb. The highlight: The pork loin of last Sunday. Honourable mention: Everything else!
• The U of S staff, in general, has been so welcoming, friendly and helpful. We are very fortunate to be able to visit Saskatoon for training camp each year.
• Yakking with reporters and fans at Griffiths Stadium has been a treat. Many thanks to the following media types: Dave Thomas, Luc Mullinder, Brittany Caffet, Britton Gray, Shane Clausing, Jackson Imrie, John Flatters, Hallee Mandryk, Darrell Davis, Darren Zary, Darren Steinke, Les Lazaruk and the great Scotts (Robson and Larson) for enduring my jokes during failed sideline monologues. Did you hear the one about …?
• Special commendation to the other two members of the Roughriders’ Communications Department. Arielle Zerr (Director of Communications) and Amelie Sarauer (Communications Intern) are Hall of Fame people and colleagues of the highest calibre. It is an honour to work with them.
• The same is applicable to the rest of our visiting Training Camp Troop: Blake Tiedeman (Manager, Content and Creative), Morgan Fleury (Digital Media Co-ordinator), Josh Idoko (Social Media Co-ordinator) and Rylan Hill (Video Producer Intern).
ROBS(ON)ERVATION …
The aforementioned Scott Roblin, of Global Saskatoon fame, was shooting video of practice early in the week when, as bad luck would have it, a flying football bounced off his camera.
Fortunately, Scott and the lens were just fine, thank you.
This grizzled gargoyle of a reporter was reminded of a time, early in the 1970s, when a football was intentionally aimed at Regina Leader-Post legend Bob Hughes.
The fastball was delivered by Ron Lancaster, who was rankled by a critical column Hughes had written after an atypically miserable outing for the iconic quarterback.
Hughes, quite a touch football player in his day, was unruffled by the pigskin as it hissed through the air and approached the target as he stood on the sideline during practice.
He calmly caught the football and tossed it back on to the field.
This further frustrated Lancaster, as did Hughes’ classic comeback: “If you had thrown the ball that well during the game, I wouldn’t have had to rip you.”
(Hughes and Lancaster, for the record, were great friends. Greats, period.)
ROLL CREDITS …
• Nice people who deserve a plug: Jenn Senger, Bob Senger, Dwayne Bzdel, Joe Couch, Noah Zerr, Oliver Zerr, Rick Orr, Cathy Orr, Payton Collins, Donnavan Carter, Scott Roblin, John Mace, Mike Rose, Jermarcus Hardrick, Morgen Runge, Lake Korte-Moore, Benoit Marion, Ali Saad, Phillip Daniels, Les Lazaruk, Scott Larson, Taylor Altilio, Nelson Lokombo, Dohnte Meyers, Kian Schaffer-Baker, Shawn Bane Jr., Daniel Johnson, Bailey Flint, Taylor Flint, Chryssoula Filippakopoulos, Candace Vanstone, Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman.
