A second sack was a first for Charbel Dabire.
Playing in his 58th CFL regular-season game, the 27-year-old defensive tackle registered his landmark multi-sack game in the pro ranks to help the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 36-20 on June 23 at Mosaic Stadium.
“I’d had two sacks in a season,” Dabire said with a laugh. “To put it together in one game shows that what I’m doing is working. The work we’re putting in is showing up on game day.
“We’re just going to keep doing that and keep the recipe going.”
Dabire, who debuted with the Roughriders in 2019, had one sack in each of his first two CFL seasons. He had two sacks in 2022 and 2023 before matching that total in Saskatchewan’s third game of 2024.
On the opening play of the second quarter, he toppled Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell for a four-yard loss.
Dabire followed up with a momentum-changing play eight minutes into the third frame.
With Hamilton in a second-and-goal situation on Saskatchewan’s five-yard line, Dabire forced a Mitchell fumble that was recovered by middle linebacker Jameer Thurman. Dabire’s strip-sack allowed Saskatchewan to maintain a double-digit lead (18-7).
“They left me free on the edge,” Dabire said when asked about that pivotal play. “I’m usually not on the edge. I guess they didn’t think I had it in me.
“Usually, I’m trying to push to the running back. If the ball isn’t handed off, I stay on the quarterback. I saw (Mitchell) pull the ball out real quick, so I just went to the quarterback.
“I just reached out with my hand. I was really trying to get the sack, but I love the fact that I hit the ball, so it was awesome.”
Even better, the strip-sack enabled Dabire to reach a statistical milestone.
“I was thinking, ‘Get the ball!’ ” he said. “I was trying to jump on the ball. Bo Levi was in my way a little bit, but I’m happy our boys rallied to the ball.”
That is in adherence to the philosophy espoused by Head Coach and Defensive Co-ordinator Corey Mace, who has made it clear from the outset that the offence doesn’t have exclusive rights to the football after it is snapped.
“Exactly,” Dabire said. “Corey’s a defensive-minded guy. He knows that you can score on defence and you’ve got to make things happen.
“It was important to be able to make that play and turn the ball over at a crucial moment. He told us, ‘We’ve got to get the ball back. We’re backed up. We’ve got to push back.’
“It was awesome to make that happen.”
Awesome, yes, but hardly surprising to Mace.
“Charbel had a really good camp and he’s certainly off to a pretty good start,” the Roughriders’ first-year field boss said.
“He’s just so quick-twitch from the inside position. He worked his tail off this off-season and he’s in outstanding shape.
“We’re going to keep pressing him to be that, because you reap what you sow from maintaining that (conditioning).
“With his quick-twitch and physicality, he didn’t lose any of that. If anything, he got stronger. It’s good to see guys get out what they put in.”
Such as two sacks, for example.
There’s only one problem: What does one save as a memento?
An offensive player or an interceptor can keep the football as a souvenir after a big play. The options are limited — and perhaps non-existent — for a defensive lineman following a sack or two.
“There are memories,” Dabire replied, “but it’s nice.
“We’ve got a good group of guys here who keep reminding me to keep my head right and who celebrate with me.
“I’ll have to do it again to get that same love.”
