This is, admittedly, the most subjective of exercises — but a sedentary scribe could use some exercise, so here’s to progress.
And here, without further preamble, is my list of the 10 most under-rated players in Saskatchewan Roughriders history.
ANGIE MITCHELL
In my still-sort-of-new capacity as the Roughriders’ historian, I have immersed myself in expanding my: (a) waistline; and, (b) knowledge of the team’s first few decades.
After I waded into the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s, one name kept resonating with me — that of Angie Mitchell.
He is, in this assessment, the (virtually) forgotten Roughriders quarterback.
That is hardly surprising, when you consider that a near-century has elapsed since Mitchell’s final game with the Roughriders.
Nonetheless, it occurs to me that more should be made of the only person to start at quarterback for the Roughriders in three consecutive Grey Cup Games (1929, 1930, 1931).
Mitchell’s athleticism and versatility were such that he also caught the first home-field touchdown pass in team history. Fred Goodman found Mitchell for a score against the Saskatoon Quakers on Oct. 24, 1931. (I think I covered that game.)
Forty years later, to the very day, No. 2 on the under-rated list enjoyed his finest of many spectacular days in green and white. Let’s hear it for …
BOBBY THOMPSON
Oct. 24, 1971: Roughriders 50, B.C. Lions 18 at Taylor Field.
Thompson led the way with three touchdowns, one of which was a record-setter.
Just 4:20 into the game, Ron Lancaster found Thompson for a 97-yard TD bomb.
A mere 6½ minutes later, Lancaster and Thompson collaborated for a second score — a 14-yarder.
Thompson made it a touchdown trey early in the second frame, when he returned a Ted Gerela kickoff 115 yards. That long-distance scamper endures as the Roughriders’ longest regular-season kickoff return.
(We include “regular season” because Thompson also erupted for a 115-yard kickoff return during the pre-season in 1970.)
Over the course of the afternoon on Oct. 24, 1971, Thompson caught five passes for 163 yards and carried the ball eight times for 57 yards. Factor in the return yardage and he finished with 361 all-purpose yards — a franchise single-game record.
Yet, Thompson is (at least in this assessment) under-rated.
That is unavoidable, I suppose, for someone who routinely lined up in the offensive backfield alongside George Reed.
Reed was a noted finisher of drives, many of which were energized by Thompson. Consider these numbers:
1969: Thompson carried the ball 82 times for 467 yards and … (wait for it) … no touchdowns.
1972: 97 carries for 469 yards and, again, no touchdowns.
1973: 142 times for 737 yards and, yes, no touchdowns.
Combine those three seasons and you have 321 carries worth of non-scoring touchdowns. Over those 321 rushes, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry.
All that being accentuated, Thompson was hardly unfamiliar with the end zone. Lancaster loved, loved, loved, loved, loved to send No. 26 out of the backfield and watch him zoom past slower defenders (translation: pretty much anyone on the opposing team).
Blessed with 9.7-second speed in the 100-yard dash, Thompson caught 266 passes for 4,207 yards and 31 touchdowns as a Roughrider.
In each of his first five seasons in Saskatchewan, he registered a reception of at least 85 yards. Despite being listed as a running back, he customarily registered impressive receiving totals. More numbers …
1969: 45 catches for 891 yards and nine TDs. Average yards per catch: 19.8. Long gain: 85.
1971: 48 catches for 774 yards and six TDs. Long gain: 97.
1972: 51 catches for 821 yards and seven TDs. Long gain: 91.
1973: 45 catches for 626 yards and two TDs, one of which was a 94-yarder.
1974: 56 catches for 711 yards and five TDs, including a 66-yarder.
Also in 1974, Thompson registered an interception while filling in for an injured (and also under-rated) Bob Pearce during an Aug. 16 road game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Thompson’s efforts have not gone unrecognized — he entered the SaskTel Plaza of Honour in 2003 — but more should be made of one of the most spectacular and versatile players in franchise history.
GARY LEWIS
Like Thompson, Lewis is a member of the Plaza of Honour.
And, like Thompson, Lewis has been oft-overlooked despite the enshrinement.
He joined the Roughriders in a Sept. 23, 1985 trade with Ottawa and occupied a defensive tackle spot for the next decade.
Twice a West All-Star, Lewis hit double digits in sacks in 1989 (with 10) and 1991 (11).
Even so, he was generally overshadowed by the likes of Bobby Jurasin, Vince Goldsmith and a quote machine named James Curry.
Lewis wasn’t flashy, but he was effective. He was ultra-reliable — every game, every year.
ROLAN MILLIGAN JR.
It wasn’t an accident that the Roughriders sported a 3-1 record with Milligan Jr. starting at defensive halfback this past season.
He is that important to the defence — and the team in general.
In the 2023 regular-season opener, for example, Milligan registered a key interception along with a tackle for a loss on a third-and-goal situation from the one-yard line.
In so doing, he contributed mightily to a 17-13 victory over the host Edmonton Elks on June 11.
The Roughriders hit the road again for a June 24 date in Calgary, where the visitors defeated the Stampeders 29-26 in overtime.
Saskatchewan’s first touchdown was set up by Milligan Jr.’s 56-yard interception return.
His first of three career CFL picks was also registered in Alberta — on Aug. 13, 2022, when the Roughriders won 34-23 in Edmonton.
Overall, he enjoyed a breakout season in 2022, recording 94 defensive plays (10th in the league), 82 total tackles (eighth) and eight pass knockdowns (tied for fifth).
On Dec. 16 of last year, the Roughriders announced that Milligan Jr. had signed a two-year contract extension. He could have tested free agency in February.
The Roughriders’ highest-profile free-agent signing of 2023 turned out to be quarterback Trevor Harris.
Harris suffered a season-ending knee injury on July 15 against the visiting Stampeders.
In games started by Harris, the Roughriders were 3-2. His absence, as impactful as it was, did overshadow the fact the Milligan Jr.’s season also concluded in July.
JOE AGUIRRE
We begin this item with the reminder that Joe (The Toe) Aguirre carried one of the great nicknames in Roughriders history. So there’s that.
Also consider this: Until Aguirre became the full-time placekicker in 1954, the Roughriders traditionally averaged two or three field goals per month — in a good year.
Toar Springstein’s six field goals, produced in 1939, stood as a franchise single-season record until Jack Hartman increased that total by one in 1950.
In those days, field goals were often an afterthought. Punting for a single seemed to be more of a priority, back in the time when a rouge was truly a big deal.
We now take you to 1954, when Aguirre made 19 of 30 field goal attempts. With four field goals versus Winnipeg on Sept. 6, 1954, he tied a Western Interprovincial Football Union single-game record.
He followed up by going 14-for-23 in 1955.
Aguirre’s Roughriders record for field goals in a season stood until 1969, when Jack Abendschan booted 21 three-pointers (in 42 attempts).
Joe (The Toe) was far ahead of his time in terms of output and accuracy.
STEVE ADKINS
Much like Joe (The Toe) — I had to get that in, one more time — Steve Adkins was ahead of his time.
Aerial football was in its infancy when Adkins erupted for 231 yards on 11 catches against the Saskatoon Hilltops on Oct. 6, 1934.
Ten of those completions were on throws from Walter (Oke) Olson, who amassed a then-unheard-of 446 yards that afternoon in Saskatoon.
Also in 1934, Olson and Adkins collaborated for the Roughriders’ first touchdown pass in a Grey Cup Game — a 20-12 loss to the Sarnia Imperials.
Adkins’ single-game Roughriders receiving-yardage record endured for nearly half a century.
Chris DeFrance set the current record on Aug. 5, 1983, when he went off for 260 yards in Edmonton.
Post-Adkins, a Roughrider did not register 200 or more receiving yards in a game until Sept. 7, 1957, when Ken Carpenter caught nine passes for 201 yards in Winnipeg.
Between the record-setting eruptions by Adkins and DeFrance, a Roughrider produced 200-plus receiving yards in a game only six times:
Sept. 7, 1957: Ken Carpenter, as mentioned.
Sept. 6, 1960: Bob Renn, 203 yards versus Calgary.
Aug. 25, 1965: Hugh Campbell, 206 yards at Winnipeg.
Sept. 7, 1970: Gord Barwell, 202 yards versus Winnipeg.
Aug. 16, 1972: Bobby Thompson, 213 yards versus Edmonton. (Did I mention that he is under-rated?)
Oct. 14, 1979: Joey Walters, 212 yards versus Edmonton.
The under-ratedness of Adkins is largely attributable to the fact that he played only one season for the Roughriders, nearly 90 years ago.
A collegiate star at the University of South Dakota, Adkins has been enshrined in the school’s athletics hall of fame (1973), the Howard Wood Dakota Relays Hall of Fame (1985) and the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame (2011).
He excelled in track and basketball in addition to making memorable contributions on the gridiron.
KEN MOORE
Trivia question: Who was the starting left offensive tackle for the 1989 Grey Cup champions?
That would be Moore, who quietly but effectively toiled for the Roughriders from 1985 to 1990.
After being obtained in a trade with Calgary, Moore evolved into a consistently effective player, to the extent that he was entrusted with protecting the quarterback’s blind side.
In the 1989 Grey Cup Game, Roughriders quarterback Kent Austin was rarely bothered in the pocket as he threw for 474 yards and three TDs.
The next year, with Moore again at left tackle, Austin was named a CFL All-Star.
CHRIS BEST
Without a great deal of fanfare, Best was an invaluable member of a fortress-like Roughriders offensive line with the Grey Cup championship team of 2013.
Best started at right guard as Saskatchewan won seven of its first eight games in 2013. However, he suffered a torn arch in his left foot and consequently missed nine games.
He returned to the lineup for what proved to be a meaningless game in terms of the standings — a 30-26 loss to Edmonton in the regular-season finale.
Best then helped the Roughriders win all three of their post-season games by a combined score of 109-61.
A Roughrider from 2007 to 2016, Best was named the team’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 2011.
Also under-rated: Xavier Fulton, who started at left tackle for the 2013 team.
CLEVELAND VANN
Vann is one of the elite middle linebackers in Roughriders history even though his resume does not include a single All-Star mention.
It was a timing issue, and nothing else.
Vann’s peak years largely coincided with those of Edmonton’s Dan Kepley, who was the CFL’s All-Star middle linebacker from 1977 to 1981, inclusive.
In 1976, Winnipeg’s Harry Walters was the All-Star middle linebacker. On the West’s dream team, he was flanked by fellow linebackers Roger Goree and Bill Manchuk, both of Saskatchewan.
Vann, however, was named the Roughriders’ Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 1976. He also received that honour in 1978.
Vann’s first of five seasons with the Roughriders ended on Nov. 28, 1976, when he was named the top defensive player in the 64th Grey Cup Game.
In a 23-20 loss to Ottawa, Vann registered one of Saskatchewan’s three interceptions in addition to piling up 10 defensive tackles. He added two more stops on special teams.
STEVE MOLNAR
There is a parallel here to Bobby Thompson, considering how difficult it was for any Roughriders backfielder not named George Reed to receive due recognition.
Worth noting, though, was the manner in which Molnar performed after succeeding the recently retired Reed as the Roughriders’ fullback in 1976.
In 14 regular-season games, Molnar rushed for 822 yards to help Saskatchewan finish first in the Western Conference.
If not for a knee injury that sidelined him for two games, he could have become the first (and heretofore only) Canadian-born Roughrider to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
Molnar’s 1976 season was highlighted by the career-high 144 rushing yards he amassed in the West final against Edmonton. He added 39 yards in the 1976 Grey Cup Game.
Playoffs included, Molnar rushed for 1,005 yards in the 16 meaningful games for which Molnar suited up in 1976 — his eighth of 10 seasons with the Roughriders.
There is a 1,242-way tie for No. 11 on this list.
Thoughts? Nominations?
