May 6, 2017

CFL Draft: Riders remember the big day

Brent Just/Electric Umbrella

Spencer Moore’s celebration during the 2013 CFL draft was a low-key affair.

That’s what happens when a guy is home alone.

“My parents were in Myrtle Beach and I was living at home, so I was at home by myself, pacing around the house all excited — but I had no one to celebrate with,” the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ fullback recalls with a smile while reflecting on the goings-on of May 6, 2013.

“When it all settled in, my parents called from a golf course in Myrtle Beach and they were celebrating with my aunt and uncle. I had some friends come over later, but it was a whirlwind of excitement.”

On Sunday, 71 young men will experience a similar burst of excitement during the 2017 CFL draft. The event is to begin at 5 p.m., Saskatchewan time.

Moore played three seasons with the McMaster University Marauders, who deployed him at slotback. The Hamilton product hadn’t attended the CFL combine in 2013, so he wasn’t sure what his future held.

He was working for the City of Hamilton that spring when he first got an inkling that a CFL career was a possibility.

“The week before the draft, (the Roughriders) called and asked me two questions,” Moore says. “They asked me if I would move out west and if I would play fullback. I was like, ‘Yep. Whatever it takes to get into the league.’ ’’

On draft day, Moore took the day off work to watch the coverage. His name finally popped up on the live stream with the last pick of the fifth round, 44th overall.

He was a member of the Roughriders.

“Your first reaction is elation,” Moore says. “You’re so happy and so excited just to be picked. You don’t think that you’ve got to work even harder to make the team and become a player in the league.”

Moore worked his way onto Saskatchewan’s roster as a rookie and now is four years into his career. The 26-year-old has used his position in the 2013 draft as motivation through the intervening seasons.

“That has helped me with my career because I never really thought I was going to play football at the professional level,” says Moore, one of the Roughriders’ special-teams stalwarts. “I got the chance to do it and I’ve capitalized on that chance.

“(Going 44th overall) definitely helped. The later rounds, especially in the CFL draft, are kind of a crapshoot. A lot of the guys who were drafted in my round and later aren’t playing anymore. Going late is sometimes a good thing.”

Nic Demski wouldn’t know.

The running back/receiver/returner was selected by Saskatchewan with the sixth pick overall in the 2015 CFL draft, accomplishing a goal he had set for himself of going in the first round.

“It was an exciting day, but at the time, it was pretty stressful,” Demski says of May 12, 2015. “I remember talking to my family and my agent, and they kept me calm. I just had to stay composed.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You have to think about it that way and be excited about it. Once I got that call, it was the best feeling ever.”

Demski was at home in Winnipeg with his family and his girlfriend, watching the draft on TV. After five selections, the Roughriders were on the clock — and they selected the University of Manitoba Bisons star.

“I was kind of shocked,” Demski recalls. “I really didn’t think the Roughriders were going to pick me. I didn’t think they needed any more depth at receiver.

“When Coach (Bob) Dyce phoned me, my instant reaction was, ‘Huh.’ Then one second later, it all kicked in and it was, ‘Holy crap! It’s about to happen.’ ’’

Demski admits he felt the pressure of being a first-round draft pick throughout his first CFL season. An injury suffered early that season exacerbated his stress and made him realize that he “needed to produce — and produce fast.”

He played 17 games last season, showing more and more flashes of his potential. Now 23, Demski is a veteran of the CFL wars — and those who are to be drafted Sunday would be wise to listen to his advice.

“Just stay humble and keep working; that’s really what it’s about,” Demski says. “You can’t stop the work just because of what’s about to happen. That’s what you worked your whole life for.

“The main thing is to be ready. When a team drafts you, they’re going to expect a lot of things from you and you’ve got to satisfy their hopes for you. All the tough work happens after the draft.”

Moore concurs.

“If you get the opportunity, make sure you capitalize on it,” he says. “It doesn’t matter how early or how late you go (in the draft). And if you haven’t been drafted, that’s OK, too. Look at (Roughriders receiver) Rob Bagg. He wasn’t drafted and look at the career he has had.”