TSN’s Glen Suitor understood Riders’ Head Coach Corey Mace’s logic behind Samuel Emilus returning punts.
"The rosters are small, so there are not 75 guys there. They're not complete special-team players with backups for the special-team players, the starting receivers, the starting DBs. They have to play on the special teams," Suitor said to Teagan Witko on the SportsCage.
"The roster restriction dictates that Samuel Emilus or Kian Schaffer-Baker or whoever has to do that."
Emilus went down with an injury in the Riders' last game against the Toronto Argonauts, where they lost 40-34. He took over returner duties from James Letcher Jr., and returned two punts for 34 yards before getting an ankle injury and leaving in the second quarter. Before returning punts, Emilus caught four passes, which totalled 65 yards.
While Suitor noted the roster size, he later highlighted the difficulties of being a returner in football.
"It's very tough to track a punt, make the catch, keep your head up, know you're going to get blasted in, about five seconds after you catch it. All of those things require a certain skill set, and there aren't many guys that can do it," Suitor said.
"So when you add up all those things, Corey Mace, that was the right decision. You put a good player who, you know, is going to catch the ball in the air, who can make a return and maybe improve field position, and if that's the best guy you can think of after Letcher Jr., is Samuel Emilus, then Samuel Emilus is the guy."
Drawing on his own experience as a former CFL player, Suitor understands why Emilus decided to take on special teams duties.
"Whenever I was in a meeting, and it came down to, you know, there was never who wants to play on the punt team or who wanted, it was never like that the coaches decided. If I was ever taken off of one, I go and ask the coach why and wanted to be back on it. Players don't want to leave the field," Suitor detailed.
"I don't want to speak for Samuel Emilus, but I'm guessing he went in at some point and said, 'coach, you need a punt returner. I can do it, and I'll be great at it."
Suitor played in the CFL and was with the Riders from 1984-1994. He was with the Riders that won the Grey Cup in 1989, defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 43-40.
Suitor also wanted to highlight Daniel Wiebe's performance, who replaced an injured Emilus for punt return duties.
"So when they lost their number one returner in [Letcher Jr.], they went to number two, who is Emilus, and then he went down. Now Daniel Wiebe goes out there. That for a rookie, is money time," Suitor explained.
"When a guy goes down, that's your chance. Every single player that is a star in the league at one point was Daniel Wiebe, wanting his opportunity to go out and make a play with the ball in his hands, and I thought he played great."
Wiebe finished the game, returning two punts for 19 yards and catching two passes for 48 yards and scored his first CFL touchdown of his career.
The Riders' next game will happen this Friday, and they will travel to Ottawa to take on the Redblacks. Catch the Riders Broadcast Network at 2:30 for their pre-game show, and Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder will have the call at 5:30 p.m. You can either watch the stream or listen on the 620 CKRM Co-operators Rider Broadcast Network.
