1964, Nov 14th: "Riders Run TiCats Ragged - Pick Up 17-Point Bulge"

Continuing to focus on the three players about to enter the TD Place Wall of Honour, today we have a look at Gene Gaines, who played for the Rough Riders from 1962 to 1969.

As mentioned in the press release announcing his addition to the Wall, he returned a kickoff 128 yards for a score against Hamilton in the first of two game for the 1964 Eastern Final. The summary of that game is clipped below, along with an additional snippet in which the accomplishment is put into perspective.

Gaines was a league all-star in 1965, 1966 and 1967 and a Grey Cup champion in 1968 and 1969.

1960, Sept. 15th: "Riders Grind Argos to First Defeat, Thelen Nears Big 4 Rushing Mark"

This post is inspired by the Redblacks' announcement earlier this week that three former Rough Rider players would be added to the stadium's wall of honour, including Dave Thelen.

The announcement lists Thelen's accomplishments quite thoroughly so there's no point in rehashing them here. Rather, the Ottawa Journal story below summarizes a game in which Thelen ran for 209 yards on his way to leading the league in rushing yards that year (1960) and being named an Eastern all-star. The Rough Riders would win the Grey Cup that year, 16-06, against Edmonton.  

2022 Jr. Rider All-Stars!

It may seem late to reveal these, but they only appeared on the league's website on April 2nd. I believe the QMJFL tends to announce their all-star teams as part of the launch of the upcoming season, typically. Hell, I've taken to seeing it as a sign that spring has finally arrived! 😋  

A subsequent post on the league's site named their individual award winners as well. Here they are. 

Nov. 8th, 1924: Westmount (Montreal) 02 @ Rideaus 15

The summary below is for the first of a two-game series between the junior QRFU's Rideaus and Westmount for that union's championship. The winner would earn the right to play for the Dominion title.

McInenly below, first name Bert, was singled out for quality play by the article's writer prior to the quarter-by-quarter breakdown copied here. 

St. Germain, meanwhile, was named Ralph, and was in the early days of what would be a distinguished athletic career, as evidenced by his write-up in the McGill Hall of Fame. 

There's an obvious error in the article below as the first paragraph suggests that Westmount lost the point they earned in the first quarter.

Laishley below was named Lyle, while Bruce's first name was Stewart.

That would be Clyde Moran getting into the action in the fourth quarter.

Rideau would travel to Montreal the following weekend and lose 12-06 but still win the series on total point and therefore secure the QRFU junior title. A battle against Hamilton loomed on the march towards the Dominion championship.

March 2nd, 2023: REDBLACKS add Nadia Doucoure to coaching staff

Photo credit unavailable

The Ottawa REDBLACKS announced, today, that they have hired Nadia Doucoure as Offensive Quality Control Coach, heading into the 2023 season.

"I'm glad to be back full-time with the REDBLACKS and to be taking this next step in my career," said Doucoure. "I can't wait to get on the field this season representing this great organization. Let's get to work!"

Doucoure served as a scout for the REDBLACKS, in 2022, after taking part in the team's Women in Football internship program during training camp. She becomes the second full-time female coach in CFL history, after previously becoming the first female coach in Carleton Ravens history, joining the program in May of 2021.

"We are pleased to have Nadia join our coaching staff for the 2023 season," said Head Coach Bob Dyce. "She will be a valuable addition to the offensive staff."

A native of France, Doucoure's football background is an extensive one. She became involved in the sport in 2002, coaching her local club in La Courneuve. Doucoure also played high-level flag football and rugby, and in 2006, was named technical advisor of France’s National Federation of American Football. Doucoure moved on to Saskatoon from there, learning the rules of Canadian football by coaching locally, and playing for the Saskatoon Valkyries, while coaching women's flag football. Doucoure then returned to Ontario, and took a position with Ontario Football.

February 21st, 2023: "REDBLACKS hire Jykine Bradley to coach defensive backs"

This came as a mild surprise. Following Alex Suber's departure, I assumed DB coaching duties would be managed by defensive coordinator Barron Miles but evidently they preferred to have someone dedicated to that specific position.   

The Ottawa REDBLACKS announced, today, that former CFLer Jykine Bradley has been hired as the team's Defensive Backs Coach heading into the 2023 season.

"We are very pleased to have Coach Bradley joining our staff as the Defensive Backs Coach," said REDBLACKS Head Coach Bob Dyce. "His breadth of CFL playing and coaching experience will be a definite asset to our coaching staff." 

Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, Bradley was most recently the defensive backs coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, in 2022: his first foray into the CFL coaching ranks. The 42-year-old previously coached the defensive backs at Northwood University (Division II NCAA) in 2021, and was the wide receivers coach of the Waterloo Warriors (U Sports) from 2017 to 2019. 

As a player, Bradley spent his collegiate career with Middle Tennessee, before a stint with the Buffalo Bills in 2004. He then moved on to Hamilton, where he suited up from 2004 to 2010, and finished his CFL career with Edmonton in 2011.

I choose to see this as a good sign. The team often states that they have all the tools to succeed including the money to spend and the willingness to spend it to improve the club. They could have given the DBs over to Miles or transferred responsibilities around between coaches but they added a salary instead. 

I have no idea what kind of coach Bradley is, but we can at least appreciate that they used the resources available to them and avoided cutting corners.  For a team that gave every indication of going cheap from 2019 to 2021 and still has some work to do to shed that perception, it's a step in the right direction, in my view.

February 17th, 2023: Free Agency, Day 4

The team was still adding bodies four days into FA. Much like the previous day, one was a new face, the other a familiar one.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS have signed National receiver Lemar Durant to a one-year contract, the team announced today.

Durant, 30, has suited up in seven CFL seasons, most recently with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2022. He appeared in 11 games, hauling in 12 passes for 112 yards, and a touchdown.

A native of Vancouver, BC, Durant was drafted in the second round, 18th overall, by the Calgary Stampeders in 2015. He spent four seasons in Calgary, highlighted by a Grey Cup victory in 2018, in which he earned Most Outstanding Canadian honours for the championship game. He then spent two seasons with the BC Lions, before moving on to Hamilton.

Through 85 career CFL games, Durant has caught 195 passes for 2,465 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns, to go with 67 rushing yards on nine carries.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS announced, today, that they have re-signed American defensive back Sherrod Baltimore through the 2023 CFL season.

Baltimore, 30, heads into his sixth CFL season, all of which have been played with the REDBLACKS. The Fort Washington, Maryland native appeared in 13 games during the 2022 campaign, tallying 22 defensive tackles, as well as eight pass knockdowns: the fifth-highest total in the league. 

A product of the Maine Black Bears program, Baltimore has become a fan favourite in Ottawa, through 60 career games. He arrived to the REDBLACKS in 2017, putting together a debut season that earned him a Most Outstanding Rookie nomination from the team, and has gone on to record 136 total tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.

We need to celebrate having the fifth highest pass knockdown total in the league because Baltimore hasn't recorded an interception since the end of the 2018 season. He's played in 34 games since the start of 2019. 

I know that statistic isn't completely indicative of level of play and one can't make too much of it.  I also get that Baltimore is a community guy and well-liked.

It doesn't seem like there was much interest in him in this free agency period yet here he is again. We appear to be the only team to sign him over and over...

I can't shake the perception that some guys are retained longer than they should be because it's a popular thing to do for the locker room. GM Shawn Burke swears there'll be competition and that jobs won't be handed out. I'll believe it when a popular but unspectacular player like Baltimore is shown the bench so someone else can be given the chance to shine.

Baltimore was the 49th player from the 2022 squad to be retained, and the 20th from the 2021 edition. You probably don't need a reminder that the team has won seven games during that period and lost 25. When the team talked about having "building blocks" in place, I didn't think they meant 49 of them.

February 16th, 2023: Free Agency Day 3

Just a couple of signings to announce from this day, one new face and one returning one.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS have signed National running back Ante Milanovic-Litre to a one-year contract, the team announced today.

Milanovic-Litre, 28, spent the 2022 campaign with the Edmonton Elks, after four seasons with the Calgary Stampeders. The Vancouver, British Columbia native appeared in all 18 games, notching 241 rushing yards, and a touchdown, as well as 89 receiving yards.

Drafted 28th overall by Calgary in 2017, Milanovic-Litre was a member of the Stampeders team that captured the Grey Cup in 2018. Through 73 career games, he has racked up 592 rushing yards, and three touchdowns, to go with 319 receiving yards.

Litre was an odd deal because the Edmonton Elks had signed him to an extension in January only to release him on February 13th. Not sure what that was about.

The next gentleman hardly needs introduction...  

The Ottawa REDBLACKS have re-signed American defensive back, and former CFL All-Star Abdul Kanneh to a one-year contract, the team announced today.

Kanneh, 32, is a veteran of eight CFL seasons, five of which have been with the REDBLACKS, in two separate stints. Injury limited him to 12 games in 2022, but Kanneh was still a contributing factor on a stout Ottawa defence; posting 37 tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. 

Born in London, England, Kanneh earned a CFL All-Star nod in 2015, and CFL East All-Star honours following the 2016 season, in which he helped the REDBLACKS to their first Grey Cup victory. He has also spent time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Toronto Argonauts.

Full disclosure, I thought that bringing in Cariel Brooks and re-signing Damon Webb meant the end for Kanneh, at least in Ottawa.

The team also quietly added Darius Williams last October, who played defensive back for Montreal in 2022. He'll be 25 in August and already has 24 games under his belt. I look forward to seeing what he can contribute. 

February 15th, 2023: "REDBLACKS re-sign National offensive lineman Hunter Steward"

The Ottawa REDBLACKS announced, today, that they have re-signed National offensive lineman Hunter Steward through the 2023 CFL season.

Steward, 31, spent last season with the REDBLACKS, after having been with the BC Lions since 2014. The Calgary, Alberta product suited up in all 18 games, and was a key fixture on a retooled, and improved Ottawa offensive line. He played his 100th CFL game in Week 14, at home against the Toronto Argonauts.

Playing his collegiate career with the Liberty Flames, the 6’6 315 lbs Steward was selected sixth overall by the Lions in 2013, and officially began his CFL career the following season.

February 14th, 2023: Free Agency, Day 1

Free agency began at noon Eastern on February 14th. The press release to announce their first acquisition was issued at 13:14.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS have signed American offensive lineman Terran Vaughn to a one-year deal, the team announced today.

Vaughn, 28, has been with the Saskatchewan Roughriders since 2018, and returned to the lineup this season, after missing the 2021 campaign due to injury. The 6’3 305lbs native of Beaumont, Texas, lined up at tackle, and suited up in 10 games during the 2022 season.

Playing his collegiate football at Stephen F. Austin, Vaughn appeared in 46 games, starting in 38, and earned an Honourable Mention All-Southland Conference nod in 2014.

There will a theme among some of the signees, particularly those who previously played for Saskatchewan, of productivity being affected by injury. If Vaughn can stay healthy, he could turn into a solid pick-up. It might be worthwhile to note that he was active for 15 games in 2019.   

The Ottawa REDBLACKS made a splash in free agency, today, signing All-Star American linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox to a two-year deal.

Santos-Knox, 28, has spent the last two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, after stints with the Edmonton Elks, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Waterbury, Connecticut product appeared in 17 games during the 2022 campaign, finishing third in the CFL with 105 total tackles. He also recorded a sack, and earned CFL East All-Star honours, following the season's conclusion.

"I'm extremely excited to call the Nation's Capital my new home and play in front of the amazing fans of RNation!," said Santos-Knox. "After hearing the vision Shawn Burke has for this team and my talks with Coach Dyce, it felt right that this was the place to continue my career and pursuit of a Grey Cup. Can’t wait to throw on the red and black and get to work with the squad!"

After playing his collegiate football at UMass, Santos-Knox signed with the Blue Bombers in 2017, and spent two seasons with the team, before moving on to Edmonton in 2019. He opted out of his contract in August of 2020, and signed with the Ti-Cats on February 6, 2021. 

This one is bittersweet in that it led to the release of Avery Williams a few days earlier. No doubt Santos-Knox is a hell of a player but among the list of priorities for upgrades, this did not seem like it would be near the top. But who knows, maybe after a few games he'll make me realize that we could have been getting even more production from that position. 

Michael Wakefield is coming back to the Ottawa REDBLACKS, with the team announcing that they have signed the American defensive lineman to a one-year deal, today.

Wakefield, 29, played in the nation’s capital from 2017 to 2019, before moving on to the Montreal Alouettes. He suited up in 14 games during the 2022 season, recording 20 tackles, and three sacks.

The Valdosta, Georgia native has appeared in 67 CFL games, all told, posting 99 total tackles, 14 sacks, and an interception. 

After a collegiate career at Florida International from 2012 to 2015, Wakefield attended training camp with the now-Washington Commanders in 2016.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS announced, today, that they have signed American linebacker Gary Johnson Jr. to a one-year contract.

Johnson, 26, has appeared in the last three CFL seasons, all with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He appeared in six games, last season, recording five total tackles, and has posted 25 tackles, as well as a sack, in 14 career games.

A native of Douglas, Alabama, Johnson played his college football at the University of Texas, where he recorded 150 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles, through 26 appearances. 

The Ottawa REDBLACKS have signed American receiver Shaq Evans to a one-year contract, the team announced today.

Evans, 31, has spent four seasons in the CFL, all with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Inglewood, California native suited up in 10 games during the 2022 campaign, hauling in 32 receptions, for 487 yards, and a pair of touchdowns.

In what has been a productive CFL career, Evans has appeared in 52 games with the Riders, making 179 receptions, for a total of 2,830 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. He earned CFL All-Star honours following the 2019 season, after posting career-high’s across the board; including 1,334 receiving yards on 72 receptions, and five touchdowns.

A fourth-round, 115th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Evans also spent time with the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, and Dallas Cowboys, from 2014 to 2017.

And so closed the Day 1 activities, 90 minutes or so later.  There wasn't a lot of flash to it; no big splash like a highly-productive WR along the lines of Geno Lewis or Jake Weineke, more of a low-risk, high-potential-reward approach for the most part.

Rumours of signing Hamilton DE Julian Howsare never came to fruition, though I believe that one just grew out of lazy assumption. He was being associated with his club's former co-GM in Shawn Burke. I don't recall coming across anything concrete to suggest he was ever coming to Ottawa.

We did see reports of the team agreeing to terms with another Hamilton player in running back Wes Hills, however upon the end of his contract Hills chose to sign with the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL instead.