August 17, 2018

Jeremy O’Day is connected to the Plaza’s Class of 2018

Jeremy O’Day is a common denominator when it comes to the Plaza of Honour’s Class of 2018.

From 1999 through 2001, O’Day played with John Terry on the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ offensive line. O’Day was the centre, while Terry was the left tackle.

Then, from 2011 through 2014, O’Day worked under Jim Hopson in the Roughriders’ organization. O’Day started as the CFL team’s football operations co-ordinator in 2011 before moving up to assistant general manager, while Hopson was the Roughriders’ president and CEO.

Hopson and Terry are to be inducted into the Plaza of Honour on Friday at Mosaic Stadium.

“It’s pretty awesome for me to see,” said O’Day, who’s now the Roughriders’ assistant vice-president of football operations and administration. “They’re two good people who are getting honoured for the work they put in.

“Being able to play with John and seeing him go into the Plaza is nice because it means that we were doing something right (as an O-line) and that he was a good player. I always enjoy it when it’s an offensive lineman (being inducted) because it’s not like we usually get our names in the paper or get many accolades or honours.


“With Jim, what an honour this is for him because he was both a player and an administrator (with the Roughriders). It’s pretty cool that he got to play for the team, he got to work for the team as the president and CEO and now he’s getting the highest honour.“

Terry, who hails from Greenwood, S.C., began his CFL career with the Toronto Argonauts in 1994. In April of 1996, Toronto traded him to Saskatchewan in exchange for offensive lineman Mike Kiselak (who, ironically, was O’Day’s roommate when the latter was an Argos rookie in 1997).

Terry played in 96 regular-season games, two playoff contests and the 1997 Grey Cup game with Saskatchewan. He was named a West Division all-star after each of the 1997, ’98 and ’99 seasons and was the Roughriders’ top-lineman nominee in each of those three campaigns.

“He was a very good player, obviously,” said O’Day who, after signing with the Roughriders as a free agent, became Terry’s teammate in February of 1999. “He had this really good punch that he locked onto D-linemen with.

“We had a pretty good O-line at the time and he was kind of the godfather of the group, the older guy who kept us all in check. He was soft-spoken, but a hard worker, very consistent and really reliable on the field. You weren’t really concerned about the guy he was going against because John was going to take care of that guy and protect the quarterback.”

Terry, who turns 50 on Aug. 30, now works as a hydraulics technician in the Caterpillar division of Toromont Industries in Toronto. O’Day is to induct his former teammate during Friday’s ceremony.

“I know he still follows the team and it still matters to him,” O’Day said. “A few years ago, he called and asked for some shirts to work out in, so I sent him a package and he was super-pumped and excited about it.

“I think this is pretty special for him. I’m pretty interested to see him and his family come back because I think it means a lot to him.”

Hopson, an offensive lineman during his playing days, appeared in 36 regular-season games over four seasons (1973-76) with the Roughriders.

He returned to the team in 2004 as its first president and CEO and, over the next decade, turned the organization into a formidable business operation. On his watch, Saskatchewan also went to four Grey Cup games and won two (2007 and 2013).

The 67-year-old Reginan is being inducted into the Plaza for his efforts as a builder.

“For him to come in and change the structure of the team and how it was run was pretty neat to watch,” O’Day said. “He was a good leader for the organization and did a good job of hiring the right people and putting them in the right spots. We had a lot of success when he was here.

“What was neat with Jim was he was a local guy and he was honoured to be in that role. He went to a lot of dinners and speaking engagements and, no matter where he was, it was never hard for him to talk about the Roughriders.”


O’Day saw Hopson’s work through two lenses. O’Day played for the Roughriders when Hopson ran the team and, after retiring in 2011, was offered a front-office job by the president-CEO.

“After I got into football operations, I remember him popping in for visits here and there and wanting to know about the week and how the team was,” O’Day said. “He really enjoyed the football part of the business and liked to be kept in the loop.

“By no means did he meddle in football or tell you what to do, but he very much wanted to come down and have a conversation — and we looked forward to him popping down when he did.”

The Plaza of Honour festivities are to get underway Friday at 6 p.m., when the gates are set to open. Fans can greet current Roughriders players from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., when the induction ceremony for Hopson and Terry is to begin.