It took a long time for T.J. Brunson to become an immediate sensation with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The 25-year-old linebacker had to exercise an abundance of patience — and let’s not overlook his persistence — before making an impactful first impression with the Green and White on Aug. 20 against the B.C. Lions.
That was his first regular-season football game in nearly 1,000 days.
“I had been working so long and staying positive and keeping the faith and everything, just to get back on the field,” Brunson said following Wednesday’s practice, “so when I finally got back on the field, it was almost blissful.”
Not so much for Lions returner Terry Williams, who was bulldozed by Brunson after fielding a punt with just under two minutes left in the first quarter at Mosaic Stadium.
“It felt like everything just came together perfectly at one moment,” Brunson said of a hit that enlivened the crowd and lit up social media. “I didn’t hear anything. It felt smooth … clean.
“I got up and I was juiced up. It was my first time being out on the field — making a big play and a big hit like that and hearing the crowd.
“It was more so feeling the crowd, because of the rumble. It was just an awesome experience.”
Brunson’s presence was also felt with four minutes left in the second quarter, when he forced a fumble by Williams on another punt return. Saskatchewan’s C.J. Reavis recovered the ball on the Lions’ 36-yard line. Tack on a 15-yard unnecessary-roughness penalty to the visitors and the Roughriders were presented with a first down on the opposition’s 21-yard line.
Two plays later, Jerreth Sterns caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jake Dolegala. That was one of three payoff pitches by Dolegala during a generally robust performance by the Roughriders, who fed off the energy provided by players like Brunson.
“We just felt like we needed a little more thump,” Head Coach Craig Dickenson said when asked about the decision to insert Brunson into the lineup. “That was a term we used all week.
“We needed a little more physicality on special teams and on defence and we felt like he could bring it — and he did.”
Brunson brought his talents to Saskatchewan early in training camp after signing with the team on May 18. After being added to the practice roster on June 3, he was a very interested observer over the Roughriders’ first nine regular-season games.
Until the 2023 CFL pre-season, Brunson had not played in a game since Aug. 14, 2021, when he suited up for the New York Giants’ in their exhibition opener against the New York Jets.
During that NFL game, Brunson suffered a season-ending knee injury — a torn ACL — a few minutes after forcing a fumble at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
As a rookie with the Giants in 2020, the 6-foot-1, 230-pounder had played in five regular-season games.
“Only so many people get to have that opportunity, so I’m forever grateful for it,” said Brunson, a seventh-round draft choice out of the University of South Carolina.
“But, being able to go there and see how things work, once you step outside of that, it’s just more so eye-opening than anything — from the business side to actually being a player.
“There’s so many things that I would say I wasn’t focused on, coming in as a rookie. Now that I’m a little bit older, I can definitely see how those things come into play, with it being bigger than just football. But it’s an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
The business side of the game became all too real on June 10, 2022, when Brunson was waived by the Giants.
Two months earlier, Tremari Jerelle (T.J.) Brunson had just become a first-time father. His wife, Jalin, gave birth to a daughter (Tremari Jean) on April 9, 2022.
To alleviate confusion over the twin Tremaris, Brunson’s daughter is routinely referred to as M.J. (short for Mari Jean).
While celebrating a new arrival, Brunson tended to unfinished business. He worked out determinedly in pursuit of another opportunity to play professional football.
“The love of the game can only take you so far, but that was definitely a big factor — knowing that I still had something left in the tank,” he said.
“I wanted to get back on the field for myself to prove that I knew that I could still play.
“That was really the biggest factor — making sure that I didn’t give up on myself. I knew that I could make things happen, regardless of what the outside noise was.”
Brunson did precisely that, creating plenty of outside noise when he brought the fans to their feet during a resounding CFL debut.
He had not played in a regular-season football game since Jan. 3, 2021, when the Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys 23-19.
Another 959 days would elapse before the Lions visited the Roughriders and were quickly welcomed by Brunson.
“These guys here, they definitely gave me that opportunity,” he said with a smile. “I’m forever thankful for it.”
