The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed National wide receiver Samuel Emilus to a one-year contract extension, keeping him in Green and White through the 2025 season.
Emilus (6’1-200) is coming off a breakout season in 2023, when he set career highs across the board and moved into the upper echelon of CFL receivers. His highlight reel catches were on display all year as he finished the season with 70 catches for 1,097 yards and six touchdowns. Emilus ranked in the top 10 in many CFL receiving categories, including catches (9th), yards (8th), touchdowns (5th) and second down conversions (9th). As well, his average of 15.7 yards per catch was 7th in the league.
The Montreal, Quebec native is the fastest Canadian receiver in Rider history to record a 1,000-yard season, besting the record set by Ray Elgaard who did it in his third season. Emilus’s three touchdown catches vs. Winnipeg in Week 2 tied a Riders single-game record. He is just the fifth Canadian receiver in Riders history to earn a 1,000-yard season, following in the footsteps of SaskTel Plaza of Honour inductees Ray Elgaard, Jeff Fairholm, Chris Getzlaf and Andy Fantuz.
Emilus was selected by the Roughriders in the first round, seventh overall, of the 2022 CFL Draft. He suited up for 15 games as a rookie, tallying 10 receptions for 165 yards.
Collegiately, he spent his senior season at Louisiana Tech University, playing eight games for the Bulldogs. He recorded 17 receptions for 257 yards and three touchdowns and also contributed on special teams, returning three kickoffs for 66 yards. Prior to attending Louisiana Tech, Emilus spent three collegiate seasons (2018-20) at the University of Massachusetts, playing in 22 games as a receiver and a returner. Over his career as a Minuteman, he made 59 receptions for 653 yards and seven touchdowns, returned six kickoffs for 114 yards and added four punt returns for 57 yards. In 2020, he was named to the Phil Steele All-Independent First Team as a punt returner.
