One foot can equal 23 yards.
That is the math as it pertains to Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver Dohnte Meyers, who made a dazzling catch near the sideline during Saturday’s 28-23 CFL victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Early in the fourth quarter at Hamilton Stadium, Meyers treated Riders fans to a diving grab while somehow tapping his left toe just inside the field of play, producing a 23-yard gain and a fresh set of downs on the Tiger-Cats’ 32-yard line.
“It didn’t surprise me, although when I watched it back on film, I was like, ‘For him to drag the toe the way he did was really, really cool,’ ” quarterback Trevor Harris said.
“I’m glad he got his flowers and got a little Instagram post from the CFL on it.”
As well, a video of the spectacular snag was posted on the league’s X (formerly Twitter) account, with the label “OH MY GOODNESS WHAT A CATCH!!”
Get used to it.
“He’s somebody we’re going to be relying on this year,” Harris told reporters. “Making plays like that will become normal and you guys will see it a lot.”
Meyers’ highlight-reel play put the Roughriders in range for a 40-yard Brett Lauther field goal that snapped a 17-17 tie.
“I know the call concept and I knew the situation where a play needed to be made,” Meyers said. “Trevor trusted me and put it on the sideline, away from the defender.
“It’s just great ball placement and grabbing one of the tools in my toolbox — a sideline catch — so that’s just what I had to do.”
How did it feel at the time?
“Honestly, it’s kind of euphoric,” Meyers replied with a smile. “You kind of zone out and just focus on the ball. When the ball’s in the air, that’s the only thing that matters.
“Looking through the visor, you see the ball in the air. Whatever it’s at, you’ve just got to go get it.”
Hamilton Head Coach Scott Milanovich challenged the officials’ ruling of a completion, maintaining that Meyers was out of bounds. The CFL Replay Centre upheld the call on the field.
“After the catch, I did look at the replay screen with my teammates,” Meyers said. “Initially, I thought I was in, though, so I wasn’t too concerned.”
The diving catch was impressive enough. Tack on the toe-tap and it enters “did you see that?!” stratosphere.
“He’s an incredible athlete,” Harris said. “Obviously, he’s very, very twitchy. He gets up to top speed very fast. He’s a tough dude and he can make tough catches.”
Meyers’ work ethic is also part of the package.
“You work on the fine details in practice — soft spots in the zone, extended plays and ball placement,” he said. “Those are things you practise.
“You see it on highlights growing up and you just dream about being in that situation. When you’re in that position, it’s familiar, so you know what it’s time to do.”
As much as the catch produced a “euphoric” feeling, Meyers quickly turned his focus to Friday’s road game against the Toronto Argonauts (5:30 p.m., TSN, CKRM).
He does, however, appreciate the compliments — especially those from his parents.
“They were just excited I made the play,” Dwayne and Tracey Meyers’ 24-year-old son said.
“They’re sports people, so they wanted to make sure I made the catch. Whether it’s spectacular or it’s a simple catch, they want all of them. They’re just happy I made a play.”
The key, from Meyers’ perspective, is to make all the plays.
“For me, they’re all kind of the same,” he said. “You kind of have the same approach. You can’t make one catch bigger than the other, because they all play into your head space.
“If it’s a simple hitch or it’s a diving catch or it’s a catch and you get hit, they’re all the same. The expectation in the room is to make plays and catch the ball wherever it’s at.”
