Siaosi Mariner caught a 38-yard touchdown pass when he last played in a professional football game.
That was 11 months ago, when he made four receptions for 84 yards for the Michigan Panthers against the victorious DC Defenders in the 2025 United Football League championship game.
He would love to enjoy another productive outing in his return to active duty.
Mariner will start at boundary-side wide receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Monday’s CFL pre-season game against the host Calgary Stampeders (1 p.m., CKRM, CFL+).
“This will be my first CFL game in about two years and my first game in 11 months, so I’m ready to lay it all out there and earn my spot on the team,” the Roughriders’ No. 84 said during Coors Light Training Camp.
A member of the Ottawa REDBLACKS in 2022 and 2023, Mariner spent the next two seasons with Michigan. He led the UFL in receiving yards, with 527 in 10 games, in 2025.
Later in the year, he signed with Saskatchewan and joined the practice roster.
He was on hand for the Roughriders’ 25-17 Grey Cup victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Nov. 16. As much as he enjoyed celebrating with his teammates, he looks forward to elevating his involvement by wearing green and white in a game.
“I was here for about a week last year before we went into the playoffs, but it felt like I was here for three months,” the 6-foot-0, 193-pounder said. “Everybody on the team was super-welcoming.
“Coming into this camp, I’m truly in the environment right now. I’m part of the offence and figuring out schemes and things like that.
“It has been an adjustment, but I’ve been loving every part of it.”
The feeling is mutual.
“He has been really, really good for us,” Head Coach Corey Mace said. “He’s always available. He’s reliable. He’s an A-1 human being. He just does his job and when the plays have come to him, he has been making them.
“In stature, he’s a tall, linear guy, but he’s not afraid to mix it up, either. He has all the intangibles we look for and that’s something we really admire about the kid.”
Mariner’s admiration for Mace extends back to the outset of the Head Coach’s tenure in Saskatchewan.
“When I was in Ottawa, things were kind of shaking at free agency (during the 2023-24 off-season),” Mariner recalled. “I always wanted to be in the CFL. God did lead me to the UFL and I did some pretty good things that way, but I love Canada. I love this league and love being a part of it.
“I actually texted Coach Mace and it was the coolest ‘no’ I ever got from anybody. He said, ‘Keep working, Siaosi. We have our system here. We’re getting things underway. We’re going to keep looking at you, but don’t stop working whether it’s here or there. I want to see you do well.’
“Hearing that from a guy who didn’t have to respond to me and didn’t have to do anything spoke volumes. God works in mysterious ways. Two years later, I’m dabbing up Coach Mace heading into the Saskatchewan facility.
“He’s an A-1 human being. For him to say things like that is a testament to who he is.”
Considering Mariner’s current environs, was it a cordial “no” or a delayed “yes” from Mace?
“Now we know it was a delayed ‘yes,’ ” Mariner said with a laugh. “I’m so appreciative.
“I told my mom and I told everybody, ‘He told me no, but it was a no that was motivating. I want to go work out now.’
“It was a blessing. Things worked out for the best.”
TIME CHANGE
The Roughriders are poised to play for the first time with the CFL’s new timing rules in effect.
In previous years, teams had 20 seconds to snap the ball after time was whistled in by an official. In some cases, upwards of 50 seconds would tick off the time clock between plays. The game clock routinely ran before the play clock was activated.
Now there will be a flat 35 seconds between snaps, period.
“We started (adapting) the very first day of rookie camp,” Mace said. “You can sit down and look at it in the office, but you’re not going to know until you know.
“It has been good practise for us to continue to get accustomed to some of these new rules coming in. That was an easy one for us, so we’ve just been operating with that during all team periods.”
How will the new timing rules affect the pace of the game?
“From what we’re seeing, it’s going to be moving a little faster,” Mace said. “Guys are going to have to be in pretty good shape, because you’ve got to be constantly on the move.
“I know there’s the old adage about 20 seconds being a faster game and, yes, it is faster at some points, but there’s a little bit of subjectivity with how fast that 20 seconds will go.
“Now there’s no question. We know that we’ve got 35 seconds, so you just want to be on top of it. It’s better to be early than late.”
CALGARY CHRONICLES
This will be the Roughriders’ 16th pre-season game at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium. The previous results are as follows:
July 9, 1967: 27-20, Calgary — George Reed ran for two TDs.
July 7, 1971: 27-0, Calgary — Bob Darby led Saskatchewan in rushing (10 carries for 25 yards) and receiving (six catches for 48 yards).
June 29, 1977: 46-17, Calgary — Molly McGee rushed 14 times for 136 yards, including a 45-yard TD. The 136 rushing yards are the most by a Roughrider in a pre-season game.
June 15, 1979: 21-18, Saskatchewan — Ron Lancaster was victorious in his first game as a head coach.
June 13, 1982: 33-32, Saskatchewan — Calgary led 31-22 before rookie QB Steve Alatorre engineered a fourth-quarter rally.
June 14, 1983: 34-18, Calgary — Ray Elgaard caught four passes for 60 yards in his first game as a Roughrider.
June 21, 1985: 31-28, Calgary — The Stampeders’ J.T. Hay kicked a game-winning, 35-yard field goal with five seconds left.
June 15, 1987: 42-27, Calgary —Mike Kelley threw two TD passes; Harry Skipper returned one of his two picks for six points.
June 26, 1991: 49-14, Calgary — Kent Austin was 10-for-14 for 91 yards and one TD.
June 18, 1993: 21-11, Calgary — Future NFL star Mike Vanderjagt kicked his only field goal as a Roughrider.
June 10, 1996: 28-15, Calgary — Willie Latta (40-yard run) and Odessa Turner (43-yard reception) scored Saskatchewan’s TDs.
June 21, 2000: 28-14, Calgary — Linebacker Aaron Collins scored on a 44-yard fumble return and led the Riders in defensive tackles (five).
June 7, 2005: 18-14, Calgary — Chris Szarka and Rocky Butler had short TD runs.
June 20, 2010: 41-17, Calgary — Darian Durant went 14-for-18 for 156 yards.
May 31, 2019: 37-1, Calgary — Cody Fajardo went 10-for-12 for 73 yards and led the Riders in rushing (six carries for 32 yards).
EXTRA POINTS
• Jack Coan is to start at quarterback for Saskatchewan. Tommy Stevens is listed as second on the depth chart, followed by Brayden Schager. Trevor Harris, the 2025 Grey Cup MVP, has made the trip to Calgary but will not dress.
• Both teams will have a Sombach at safety. Carson Sombach, who signed with Saskatchewan as an undrafted free agent, is third on the depth chart — behind Nelson Lokombo and Jaxon Ford. Jackson Sombach, Carson’s older brother, will start at safety for Calgary. The Sombachs, like Ford, are products of the University of Regina Rams.
• American-born Reed Hughes will handle the long snapping for Saskatchewan. CFL veteran Aaron Crawford did not make the trip. The Roughriders are looking for a successor to the recently retired Jorgen Hus.
• While with the Stampeders, Mace played against Saskatchewan in three pre-season games — on June 22, 2012, June 20, 2013 and June 19, 2015. All three games were at historic Mosaic Stadium.
• The Roughriders’ pre-season finale is slated for Saturday against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1 p.m., Griffiths Stadium). Tickets for the first CFL pre-season game in Saskatoon since 1991 are AVAILABLE HERE.
