Naaman Roosevelt speaks at the 2023 Mr. & Mrs. Edmond J. Gicewicz Family UB Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Even as an erstwhile football player, the receptions keep on coming for Naaman Roosevelt.
Last September, the former Saskatchewan Roughriders slotback — a newly appointed assistant coach with the CFL team — was celebrated as he entered the sports hall of fame at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo.
That was a prelude to this past Friday, when the 35-year-old Roosevelt was enshrined in the University of Buffalo Athletics Hall of Fame.
“To get inducted into two halls of fame in the past six or seven months is crazy,” Roosevelt marvels. “You don’t think of it when you’re playing.
“It just shows that people saw what you did and the things you put out there on the field.”
Or on the court.
At St. Joe’s, Roosevelt excelled in basketball and football. In the latter sport, he figured in 35 touchdown passes — as a quarterback.
As a freshman with the University of Buffalo Bulls, Roosevelt was converted into a receiver. The wisdom of that decision was confirmed many times over as he set school all-time records for catches (268) and receiving yards (3,551) during a prosperous period that spanned 2006 to 2009.
In 2008, Roosevelt also established Bulls single-season standards for catches (104) and receiving yards (1,402) while scoring 13 touchdowns.
Then came a move from Buffalo to … well, Buffalo.
From the Bulls to the Bills.
Over the 2010 and 2011 NFL seasons, Roosevelt caught 25 passes for 396 yards and one touchdown — a 60-yarder — while playing in 16 games with the hometown Bills.
After being released by the Bills on Aug. 31, 2012, he had subsequent stints with the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and, of course, Buffalo before landing in Saskatchewan in 2015.
Roosevelt caught a touchdown pass in his first CFL game and never looked back, except at would-be tacklers.
As a Roughrider, he caught 301 passes for 4,134 yards and 20 touchdowns over 67 games, spread over five seasons. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in 2016 — when he was named the Roughriders’ most outstanding player — and 2017.
Last spring, he rejoined the Green and White for training camp in the capacity of guest coach.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Roosevelt says, breaking into a chuckle. “Coaches work 10 times harder than the players.
“You can usually take a quick nap during the day after practice when you’re a player, but last year there was no sleeping. We were up watching film, and then more film, trying to get the guys ready to go.
“I’ve seen that side of the game and I enjoyed every moment of it. Me playing football my whole life and just being around football, it’s something I love. I just want to do this forever.”
Toward that end, Roosevelt is enjoying his first foray into full-time coaching — as an offensive assistant on Craig Dickenson’s staff.
“It’s really cool to have this opportunity to coach,” Roosevelt says. “I had never thought of coaching until the last couple of years when I was ending my career. I ended up being that guy who was helping the young guys out. I think that’s where I fell in love with coaching and that aspect of developing players.
“You see the young guys and, not long ago, I was just a young guy who was trying to figure out life. I’m glad to be able to be that person to help guys on and off the field with what they go through every day, like being away from your family up in Saskatchewan and being there by yourself.
“I can relate to and understand what they’re going through, so coming back is definitely something that I’m excited for. I know a lot of guys who I played with are excited for me to be coming back, so it’ll be fun.”
Roosevelt will be able to immerse himself in all aspects of the offence, given the wide parameters of his job description and the collaborative philosophy of first-year offensive co-ordinator Kelly Jeffrey.
“When me and Coach Dickie talked, he wanted me to definitely help out with the receivers with drills on the field and with player development,” Roosevelt says. “He also wants me to work with Coach Kelly and do whatever he needs.
“I’ve been picking his brain for the past couple of weeks and we’ve been doing Zoom meetings. I’ve been trying to learn all I can.
“I think that’s the main thing. I want to learn every position. (Jeffrey) said, ‘You can coach quarterbacks. You can coach running backs. You can coach receivers.’
“My mindset now is learning the whole thing about offence — protection, what the running back is doing, what the quarterback is thinking, what reads he’s looking at. Working with the receivers, I want to let the offensive co-ordinator know what I think and what I see.
“Coach Kelly loves for you to give input. He asks all the coaches what they think and what they feel.”
Roosevelt cannot help but feel that he has come full circle … again.
After making an imprint in the high school, college and professional ranks in Buffalo, he is now seeing another side of life as a Roughrider.
“It’s definitely something that is meant to be,” Roosevelt says, “and I’m excited to take full advantage of it.”
