Former Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver Dohnte Meyers is heading south to play in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals.
"That is a blessing and an honour for that to be a reality; six-year-old me would be very proud,” Meyers said on the SportsCage.
Meyers signed a contract with the Bengals after he spent two years with Saskatchewan in the CFL. In 2025, he played 15 regular season games for the Green and White, recording 65 receptions for 1,056 yards and eight touchdowns. He was part of the Riders team that won the 112th Grey Cup against the Montreal Alouettes, his first championship in his football career.
The 25-year-old Meyers expressed gratitude to his parents who helped him pursue his dream.
“They sacrificed and invested so much into me to make this dream alive. Whether it's taking me to practice, training, making sure that I was able to chase my dream wholeheartedly and not having to sacrifice any other components of my life, either dream or job or move out," Meyers said.
"They were able to be the air under my wings to make sure I can fly and keep on going, no matter how long the journey takes."
When asked which teammates he wanted to thank for his success, Meyers narrowed it down to three.
"As far as teammates are concerned, that's another hard one. Everyone is like family now, so I would say my top three are Trevor Harris, KeeSean Johnson, and Samuel Emilus," Meyers said.
"Sam, KeeSean, and I, were like my brothers. We're together all day, every day, sharing our hearts on and off the field. Our families overlap. We're really close. Trevor is like a big brother, I knew him before I got up there. So before I was able to establish a friendship with KeeSean and Sam, Trevor always made sure I was good, and we connected on a whole other level."
Before the Riders, Meyers played for Presbyterian College from 2018 to 2019 and finished his NCAA career with Delta State University from 2020 to 2022. Unlike other players from the United States who are unfamiliar with the CFL, Meyers already had a good idea about the three-down league.
"I've known about the CFL my whole life. My baseball coach is like a mentor and a second father. His brother, Paul, knows about the league. He's been in multiple Grey Cups. He always mentioned if the NFL doesn't work out, you can play in the CFL, and you will do very well," Meyers recalled.
"I played running back growing up, but I was always a natural athlete. I didn't transition to receiver till college, and I made it to college because of my return ability. Paul said in the CFL you have that five-yard halo, you get an opportunity to return, that will suit you, that's a good opportunity for you. It honestly didn't come to fruition until about 2023 when I had an open tryout in Atlanta, Georgia for Saskatchewan, I ended up signing like two or three weeks later."
The five-foot-10, 190-pound Meyers advised potential players about the benefits of joining the CFL and what it offers.
"It's a beautiful opportunity if you want to play professional football and make your dreams a reality. I think a lot of guys don't really understand how fun playing professional football is. There's a disconnect between: ‘It’s NFL or bust,’" Meyers said.
"I was talking to my mother the other day, I was telling her that I've had my most fun playing football in my whole career last year and there's not many things that can satisfy that feeling. The game, the camaraderie, the brotherhood, the experience, that's really what you look for. When you play this game, it's not the accolades, you're playing this child's game for fun. Everybody always says make sure you have fun with it and the CFL is fun.”
