As the Saskatchewan Roughriders began to get into a groove in the early part of the current CFL season, one facet that appeared to have found a higher gear was the return game.
And Mathew Sexton was a big part of that.
A former NFL prospect and standout at Eastern Michigan, Sexton had quickly turned into a dynamic kick- and punt-return specialist once he took over primary duties for the Green and White in Week 5. His remarkable speed and agility helped him avoid tacklers, get up field and put the Riders in solid field position time and time again.
That included an impressive 101-yard punt return touchdown in his first regular season game in Week 5 against Ottawa.
Then, disaster struck.
The very next game against Hamilton, Sexton was working his way up the sideline and had evaded a handful of tackles when he suffered a major ankle injury while being brought down. He had to be taken off on the cart, and it initially appeared his season was over.
Flash forward three months’ time, and Sexton is a few days from returning to the field.
Needless to say, it’s an exciting time for the Clinton, Mich. product.
“It means the world,” Sexton told the Voice of the Roughriders Dave Thomas after practice on Friday. “There was a little time where I didn't know if I was coming back or not, so it feels great.”
Sexton continued by giving credit to Saskatchewan’s health and fitness staff for their work in helping him get back on the field, specifically strength and conditioning coach and legendary Riders receiver Dan Farthing.
“It's all credit really to the people in the treatment room,” Sexton said. “That's why I stayed out here, they do a really good job. Dan just does really good work, they got me back in great shape.”
The fact Sexton decided to stay in Regina and be around the club despite knowing he was going to be out for the long term wasn’t lost on the team, including head coach Corey Mace.
“There are a lot of opportunities for guys with some longer-term injuries to go home, but Mathew's been here, did not want to leave, he's been working his tail off,” Mace said. “You reap what you sow.”
Sexton said that simply being around the boys was and part of the Riders’ close locker room was reason enough to stick around.
“That made it significantly easier,” he said. “That urge to go home and see family and stuff, that is definitely there, but I'm glad I stayed. Being around the guys just makes everything so much easier, lifting your spirits and hyping you up throughout the day. So definitely it was a good decision.”
Interestingly enough, the injury might have come at as positive a time as it could, if such a thing is possible — Sexton admitted that the ankle had been giving him some issues before the major injury, and those are now a thing of the past.
“So maybe it just let me get healed up so we can get this final stretch in and really knock this stuff out the park,” he said.
Now, it’s time to get to the task at hand.
Sexton had three kick returns for 87 yards and seven punt returns for 217 yards prior to the injury and will look to spike those numbers dramatically in Saskatchewan’s playoff push, beginning Monday in Montreal.
“It's something that we need to win, but it's also something that Trevor (Harris) spoke about, turning that corner,” Sexton said. “We’re coming off three straight losses, so let's go win some and really get the ball rolling for us, especially this late in the season. Let's go finish this thing strong.”
Monday’s contest features a very early start, with the Rider Broadcast Network pregame show with Teagan Witko, Wes Cates and plenty of special guests beginning at 8 a.m. Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder will then have the game call at kickoff at 11 a.m.
