Lone Grey Cup win tops list of accomplishments for Roger Aldag

Roger Aldag was a mainstay on the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ offensive line for 18 seasons.

And after it all, Aldag says he’s lucky to have had the career he did.

“With the teams we had, we had numerous changes year after year. I think I was just very fortunate that I was able to hang on and make the team each year,” Aldag said.

Despite all the accolades the Canadian Football Hall of Famer accumulated over the years, his biggest accomplishment remains the one Grey Cup ring he has.

“Without that, it would have been a very, very empty career,” Aldag said.

Aldag grew up on the family farm between Gull Lake and Shaunavon.

Like many kids growing up in Saskatchewan, his love of sport began on the ice, learning to skate on ponds and in fields.

But the Roughriders always held a special place in his heart. Aldag would still be cheering on the Roughriders in 2020, but the CFL season remains in question due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Roughriders were supposed to play the B.C. Lions on Saturday.

“We had an old farmhouse there and it’s quite an old pad out in the hills and I had all these pictures of the ’66 Roughrider team. I would put them all on the side wall of the bedroom upstairs that Mom and Dad had just painted and it would take the paint right off the walls,” Aldag said.

“I loved listening to the games on radio with (Ron) Lancaster and (George) Reed marching down and Jack Abendschan kicking the winning field goal. I heard that many times out on the harvest field driving a grain truck and listening to the broadcast of the games.”

He also had a personal connection to the Riders; his brother Barry played with the team from 1968 to 1971.

“My first recollection of going to Taylor Field at that time was to watch my brother play and it was really exciting and I never, ever dreamt of the fact I would follow in his footsteps,” Aldag said.

But following in Barry’s footsteps was exactly what Aldag did. He played his junior football with the Regina Rams, who won two national titles while he was with them (1973, 1975).

Aldag admits having a brother who also played probably helped him out in the long run.

“He certainly made the coaches and everybody aware of the name Aldag. They gave me a second look a lot of times when some other guys wouldn’t have because I should be good because my brother was good.” Aldag said.

After four years with the Rams, Aldag made the jump to the professional ranks and joined the Roughriders. That gave him a chance to play with one of his childhood heroes — The Little General, Lancaster.

“It was just an honour. He was easy as a quarterback. He didn’t make things complicated because as an offensive line you see different defences that are all stacked up to stop a play and Ronnie said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll audible and we’ll always make the best play for whatever the defence is giving us,’ ” Aldag said.

“It was a thrill of a lifetime to play with Ronnie. I felt really bad a few times that I got him hit a few times.”

While Aldag played only three games in his rookie season of 1976 due to an injury, he started every game the next season — and by the time his career was over, he was the Roughriders’ all-time leader with 271 regular-season games played. That record later was broken by Gene Makowsky.

Aldag said to play that long, you need a little luck and some good trainers.

“There’s a lot of games where you’re doubtful but they’re giving you some treatment before the game and get you on the field to play,” Aldag said.

Unfortunately for a lot of years, the Roughriders were mired in mediocrity, missing the playoffs every season from 1977 to 1987.

“(Centre) Bob Poley and I always talked and we’re both from the farm and it seemed like being a farmer — always next year,” Aldag said. “We always had opportunities for next year but (had) 11 years out of the playoffs.

“It was quite a challenge, so it was a long time and for us, we had great teammates and great coaches and we stuck together and we said, ‘Sometime we’re going to win it all and it’s going to feel very, very special.’

“It’s a heck of a lot longer than you want it to be, but it is what it is. We stuck together as teammates because your neighbours didn’t want to talk to you too much because you were losing all those years.”

But all the suffering and waiting paid off in 1989, with the Roughriders defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 43-40 to win the second Grey Cup in franchise history.

“It was well worth the time and I’m very fortunate that I did win one because there’s a lot of guys who have played in the CFL as long as I have and didn’t win the Grey Cup. It would have been nice to win a few more but the one was nice, that’s for sure,” Aldag said.

That Grey Cup win would be the only one of Aldag’s career; he chose to hang up the cleats in April 1993.

“I just thought I was going to walk away because I was pretty beat up by that point. I was 39 years old so I thought it was time to hang up playing a kids game and move on and let someone younger, bigger and stronger play,” Aldag said.

After his retirement, he was recognized as one of the game’s all-time greats. His No. 44 jersey was retired by the Roughriders, he was inducted into their Plaza of Honour in 1993, and he was enshrined in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

He was also mentioned in a 2008 Get Fuzzy comic strip.

“I was never the best-looking guy in the world so maybe I would’ve looked good in a comic strip,” Aldag said with a laugh. “Maybe I missed my calling; I should’ve been a cartoon character.”

In 2008, he was able to visit Afghanistan and Canadian troops stationed there — and he took the Grey Cup with him.

“It was an unbelievable experience. I don’t like flying and by the time I got there, it was a long flight. It was just a great, great feeling to do a very small part and make a smile on someone’s face. It was a great honour that I did it,” Aldag said.

Now, Aldag is spending his time golfing at Regina Beach and cheering on his favourite NHL team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Like many others, he’s hoping the world can return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I wish I could golf a little better. It’s all good and just a matter of hoping this whole world changes and our grandkids can get back to school next year. (I’m) hoping for the best for everybody in this great country,” Aldag said.

And as he looks back on his career, that Grey Cup win still remains the greatest accomplishment in a long list of them.

“We stuck together, the majority of us, and it was one of the best feelings you could ever, ever have in your life and something I’ll never forget and (I’m) just so happy we could repay the great Rider Nation with a Grey Cup win in ’89,” he said.

“They had a lot of frustrating years where they had to commit to season tickets and had to drive in to watch us play and not always (have) the best result a lot of the games.”

This Rider Alumni feature is appearing one day before the 2020 Roughriders were scheduled to play the B.C. Lions at Mosaic Stadium. The 2020 season is on hold due to COVID-19.