SASKATOON — Anaconda, Montana is the home of towering mountains and an impressive Hill.
Braxton Hill, a former standout linebacker with the University of Montana Grizzlies, is now demonstrating his skills in spring workouts with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“When you get a Montana guy, you kind of know the work ethic,” Head Coach Corey Mace said after Wednesday’s Coors Light Training Camp session at Griffiths Stadium.
“From when we got Braxton last year, he has been nothing but a professional, with hard work. Now, getting out here and getting a full camp and a full set of reps, he’s going all out.
“I’m excited to see him in a game. He’s running around here and it’s like, ‘OK, I think he’s going to make that play,’ but you don’t know (until there are game conditions).
“But certainly, I wouldn’t be shocked if his stats sheet’s a little full.”
Hill, 25, signed with the Roughriders on Sept. 18th and spent a month on the practice roster. He signed a new deal with the CFL team on Nov. 18th.
“The off-season is kind of long, so there’s a lot of anticipation — training and just waiting for your opportunity,” Hill said.
“When you get here, it’s what you’ve been waiting for. You’re flying around and playing football with your buddies. We’re learning and taking what the vets give us every day in practice and in the film room and then trying to apply that.
“I’m coming out here and just trying to be a little better each day. It has been fun.”
The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder developed into a respected veteran and tackling machine with the Missoula-based Grizzlies. As a senior, he led the Big Sky Conference in total tackles (128 in 15 games) and was fifth in the FCS in that category. He also registered two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
That is especially noteworthy for someone who joined the Grizzlies as a walk-on.
“I wasn’t the first to do it and I won’t be the last to do it,” Hill said. “There’s a lot of walk-ons at the University of Montana. It’s kind of a blue-collar school.”
Speaking of school: Hill, an All-Academic selection, graduated from Montana with a degree in elementary education.
“Action Braxton” is one of two Grizzlies products at the Roughriders’ training camp — the other being defensive lineman Alex Gubner.
They will be on the field Thursday for the final full Saskatoon-based workout of training camp.
After a Friday morning walk-through, the team will fly to Winnipeg for Saturday’s pre-season game against the Blue Bombers.
Camp will then move to Regina for the final week of camp, leading up to the pre-season finale against Winnipeg (May 30th, 7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
WEDNESDAY HIGHLIGHTS
Persistent rain didn’t dampen Mace’s enthusiasm.
“This has been the last three days for us, so the guys are already acclimated,” he said on Wednesday.
“I thought today was an excellent practice, from the attention to detail in the walk-through periods to the compete periods. They were even competing in special teams drills.
“It was a great day.”
That was especially true in the case of Trevor Harris, who completed eight of nine passes in 12-on-12 situations. Included were deep connections with Dohnte Meyers and Kian Schaffer-Baker.
The four quarterbacks (Harris, Jack Coan, Jake Maier and Tommy Stevens) were a combined 14-for-16.
Meyers was the busiest receiver, with four catches. Daniel Wiebe was next in line with three. Schaffer-Baker and Samuel Emilus each made two receptions. Dhel Duncan-Busby, Brayden Misseri and A.J. Ouellette had single catches.
Ouellette also touched the ball three times on running plays. Mario Anderson, Thomas Bertrand-Hudon and Trent Pennix each accepted two handoffs.
In “skelly” (linemen excluded) drills, Stevens hit Wiebe for a touchdown on a deep corner route. Coan went over the middle to Tommy Nield for another major.
The defensive highlight: Aubrey Miller Jr.’s interception in “skelly.”
EXTRA POINTS
• The Green and White on Wednesday announced the signing of receiver Abdul Janneh Jr., who spent the past two seasons at Georgia Tech. Before that, he played at Duquesne. He caught nine touchdown passes in 11 games with the Duquesne Dukes in 2022. Janneh Jr. is the 4,712th documented player in Roughriders/Regina Rugby Club history and the first to hail from Hanover, Pa.
• Veteran CFL offensive lineman Philippe Gagnon, a free agent signing during the off-season, has suffered a torn bicep. “It might not be season-ending — which is good for him, good for us,” Mace said. “It’s similar to Sean (McEwen, injured centre). It’s just unfortunate. It didn’t look like much (when Gagnon was hurt in practice), but that’s just the way it went.”
