Former Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant believes Brett Lauther belongs among the best all-time kickers in franchise history.
“What he’s done for Saskatchewan on the field as well as off the field, it says a lot about him. What better way to go out than on top with a Grey Cup ring?” Durant said on The SportsCage.
“Much respect to Brett. I’ve always been a huge supporter of his. He’s one of the best that I’ve seen in Saskatchewan. I wish him the best as he moves forward with his life.”
The 35-year-old was released by the team before an offseason roster bonus on February 1. Lauther leaves the Riders ranked third in team history with 1,110 points behind Dave Ridgway and Paul McCallum. He went 10-for-10 on game-winning field goal attempts in Green and White, tied for the second-most with McCallum.
Lauther made good on 295-of-360 field goal tries in Riderville, an 81.9 percent accuracy rate that’s the best in Saskatchewan’s record books for anyone with 100-plus field goal attempts. His 59-yard three-pointer against Hamilton in Week 11 last season sits as the third-longest boot in Roughriders history.
“I’ll start with off the field, because in my opinion, that’s a lot more important. The impact that you leave, being around the kids, all the help he’s done in the community, you name it, he’s been around the province to support the team, to support every single small town in Saskatchewan,” Durant said.
“I, being a former player, really appreciate everything he’s done for the province, and also for the team.”
In 2023, Lauther’s community contributions were recognized when he received the Tom Pate Memorial Award, which is presented on an annual basis by the CFL Players’ Association (CFLPA) to a member who demonstrates supreme sportsmanship and exemplary contributions to his team and community.
Lauther’s 2025 regular season in Saskatchewan was inconsistent. He made 39-of-54 field goal attempts, a conversion rate of 72.2 percent — the lowest in his eight seasons with the Roughriders. His conversion rate was the worst in the league at 91.2 percent.
“It gets tough playing in Saskatchewan. The mental part of the game is something we don’t discuss much. I think mentally it took a toll on him. I think whenever you get in a rut, which happens to all players — there’s no perfect player — there’s no guy that can stay hot pretty much his whole career,” Durant said.
“Once you start getting in a rut in Saskatchewan, only the mentally strong survive. I think it started to get to him a little bit. You could tell that every single kick he was about to take, the entire province was holding their breath that the kick would go in.”
“You could sense the frustration on his face when he didn’t make a kick. Once you wear that on your sleeve and you can see his emotions, especially on TV, then you know it’s getting the best of him. It’s unfortunate, we all get to that point at some point in our careers.”
Lauther was perfect in the West Final, going three-for-three on his field goal attempts and knocked through two extra points in a 24-21 win. The native of Truro, N.S., also made three extra points in the 112th Grey Cup but missed a 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, which would have put the Riders ahead by 11 points.
Instead, Saskatchewan’s lead stayed at eight as the Green and White needed a Marcus Sayles forced fumble on the goal line and a Hail Mary knockdown in the end zone to win.
