Kosi Onyeka waited nearly nine years for six points.
On Saturday, he scored a touchdown for the first time since 2015 to help the Saskatchewan Roughriders post a 28-27 CFL pre-season victory over the Edmonton Elks.
Late in the first quarter, the 24-year-old defensive back recovered a fumble by punt returner Javon Leake and trotted into the end zone from two yards away at Commonwealth Stadium.
“That was my first touchdown since high school, so I didn’t have my celebration down,” Onyeka said with a chuckle. “I’m definitely going to work on my touchdown celebrations for the next one.
“Shout-out to my teammates for putting me in the right position.”
Onyeka had not registered a major since he was in Grade 11 at Cardinal Ambrozic Catholic Secondary School in Brampton, Ont.
“Back in the day, I played a bit of running back in high school,” he recalled. “We were juking guys and running the ball and getting to the end zone that way.
“I don’t think I ever got a special teams touchdown, so it was a little bit different (on Saturday). It’s always a good feeling to put points on the board and help your team win, so I’m grateful for that.”
After three years at Cardinal Ambrozic, Onyeka transferred to St. Roch Catholic Secondary School, also in Brampton.
One problem: He was ruled ineligible to play football in Grade 12.
“I ended up transferring schools after my Grade 11 year because the football program (at Cardinal Ambrozic) had folded,” he said.
“They had this rule in my region where if you transfer, you have to sit out a year. So I sat out a year and I didn’t play football for my graduating year in high school, which was pretty funny.”
The one-year hiatus did not prevent him from playing U Sports football, beginning in the fall of 2017 at the University of Guelph.
Over three seasons with the Guelph Gryphons, he recorded 64 defensive tackles (including 3½ for a loss), one forced fumble, one interception and three pass breakups.
He signed with Saskatchewan on Feb. 28, 2022 and played in eight regular-season games as a CFL rookie.
Onyeka followed up last season by registering 17 special-teams tackles — two behind A.J. Allen’s team-high total.
On Aug. 20 against the visiting B.C. Lions, Onyeka recorded four special teams tackles. That proved to be the Roughriders’ highest single-game total in 2023.
His special teams skills were on display once more on Saturday, when he recovered two fumbles.
The second recovery took place six minutes into the fourth quarter, when defensive back C.J. Coldon dislodged the football from Edmonton fullback Bradley Hladik.
Until Saturday, a Roughrider had not recovered two fumbles in a game of any description since Aug. 19, 2018, when defensive lineman Zack Evans pounced on a pair of loose footballs against the visiting Calgary Stampeders.
“The coaches always stress running to the football,” Onyeka said. “Good things happen to people who sprint to the football.
“I just thank my teammates for making that possible for me.”
STAND-UP GUYS
Leading up to the Roughriders’ pre-season finale, Head Coach Corey Mace implored the players to “make us stand on the table for you” — in other words, to perform in a manner that created staunch advocates among the coaching staff leading up to the final roster moves.
Mission accomplished.
“Certainly in the game, some guys did that,” Mace said, referencing Saturday’s meeting with Edmonton.
“And then, throughout this practice week, it was really important to stress that the evaluation is still very serious.
“Guys have stepped up to the table. It is coming up to that (cutdown) day and the decisions are going to be tough for us. That’s what we want as an organization.”
The cutdown deadline is Saturday at 10 p.m., Saskatchewan time.
The Roughriders, the lone CFL team that is idle this weekend, are to open their regular season June 8 in Edmonton.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Roughriders are preparing to begin the regular season with back-to-back road games for the 12th time in franchise history.
That includes 1932, when the Regina Roughriders played their first three games on the road, going 1-2.
Subsequently, the Roughriders have been road-heavy to begin the season in 1939 (1-1), 1948 (1-1), 1956 (0-2), 1957 (0-2), 1958 (1-1), 1972 (0-2), 1973 (1-1), 1974 (1-1), 1999 (0-2) and 2019 (0-2).
Three of the five teams that started out 0-2 ended up enjoying successful seasons — namely the Roughriders of 1956 (10-6), 1972 (8-8, plus a Grey Cup appearance) and 2019 (13-5; first place in the West Division).
Counting the pre-season, the Roughriders are actually one-third of the way into a three-game road stretch, which is to conclude June 16 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“It’s interesting with our schedule this year,” kicker Brett Lauther said. “I actually think it’s a bit of an advantage to get the (road games) over with early.
“We got over to Edmonton for our second pre-season game and I think that’s good for the young guys to get the experience, because we’re going to be going over there in Week 1.”
The Roughriders’ home opener, slated for June 23 against Hamilton, is the first of back-to-back games at Mosaic Stadium. The Toronto Argonauts are the visitors on July 4.
