Melique Straker was in the right place at the right time on Saturday against the B.C. Lions.
He is in the right place overall, considering the larger equation.
“Regina feels like home,” the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ linebacker and special teams standout said with a smile.
“It feels like it’s in my heart, like I’m meant to be here.”
That is not said with any disrespect or dismissiveness intended to Brampton, Ont. He maintains strong ties to his birthplace and many of its residents — including childhood friend John Metchie III, a receiver with the NFL’s Houston Texans.
But the comparatively serene surroundings in Saskatchewan have a calming effect on Straker, as much as he can create discomfort for rival returners.
On Saturday, for example, he forced a fumble by the Lions’ Seven McGee following a 30-yard kickoff return. The Roughriders’ Jayden Dalke recovered the fumble on the Lions’ 39-yard line and, three plays later, the visiting side assumed a 10-0 lead on Brett Lauther’s first of four field goals.
“Anything that’s a positive is what we’re aspiring to get on every single play,” Straker said when asked about the forced fumble. “I was just happy to do what I can for my team.”
Saskatchewan ended up winning 33-27 to improve its record to 5-1. Next up is Friday’s clash with the Edmonton Elks (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
Straker made an auspicious Canadian professional football regular-season debut at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium on June 8 of last year, making two special teams tackles in a 29-21 Roughriders win.
He was the Roughriders’ fourth-round selection (32nd overall) in the 2024 CFL Draft after starring at Arkansas State.
Eight other clubs could have selected Straker, but he had an especially good feeling about the team he ultimately joined.
“It was going to be here,” Straker said with a smile. “It was meant to be here.
“This is the only place I would have wanted to be. This is it. This is right here — Saskatchewan.”
The 5-foot-10, 202-pounder registered nine special teams tackles in 10 games as a first-year Roughrider. Most notably, he had four special teams stops against the visiting Elks on Aug. 3.
Straker played in the Roughriders’ first four games of 2025 before missing one contest with a thigh injury. He returned to the lineup with a flourish on Saturday, forcing the aforementioned fumble just 5:37 into the game.
“He’s a core teamer,” Head Coach Corey Mace said. “He’s going to be running down the field violently at top speed and he makes plays.
“Obviously, there was the big one for us, creating the turnover on special teams. He’s also a dog. His college tape showed it. That’s why we brought him in and why we drafted him.
“When he has been able to be out there and be healthy, he’s been a tremendous asset to this team.”
Straker’s team of supporters has proven to be invaluable. One of his key allies is Metchie III, who starred for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide before being selected by Houston in the second round (44th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
“I feel like he’s my twin — a person who knows me sometimes better than I know myself,” said Straker, whose family is very close to the Metchies.
“Whenever I’m having my highs of highs or lows of lows or even if I’m in the middle, he’s always there. I’m appreciative of that.
“I’m always going to be grateful for that and grateful for every opportunity that continues to come my way.”
He is especially thankful to have landed in Saskatchewan.
“I’m still tied to where I’m from but, at the same time, life is going to take you in a whole bunch of different directions,” Straker said. “It’s going to bring you different places. I think it’s all a matter of where your heart is taking you.
“My heart and the city of Regina have come together. I feel like it’s something I’m going to carry with me for the rest of my life, regardless of where I am.”
