Justin McInnis ready for season debut with Riders

Justin McInnis is ready to make his mark on the 2021 Saskatchewan Roughriders season.

McInnis, the sixth overall pick in the 2019 CFL draft, dealt with hamstring issues and a tough training camp earlier this season, which led to him spending most of his time on the Roughriders’ practice roster.

He has appeared in just one game this season, Saskatchewan’s 33-9 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sept. 11. He didn’t catch a pass in that contest.

But McInnis will get the start Saturday against the Calgary Stampeders. Kickoff at Mosaic Stadium is set for 5 p.m.

Mitch Picton, who has started every game at the field wide receiver spot, has been put on the one-game injured list.

“Starting or not, you’ve got to go out and work every day because you never know when your number is going to get called,” McInnis said. “I found out 10 minutes before practice started that I was going to be starting this week.

“I didn’t expect that and I didn’t know that was coming. You’ve just got to be ready to go in and hopefully you know everything and are up to speed with everything else.”

McInnis played in 14 games as a Roughriders rookie in 2019, catching 10 passes for 149 yards.

But like many people, McInnis saw his life thrown for a loop due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a cancelled 2020 season, McInnis worked for a bit at The Brick in Regina, before he and his fiancée left the city to visit her family with their young daughter Aria.

They then moved to Florida, where McInnis’ fiancée was completing her degree, and he took on the role of stay-at-home dad.

“There’s no excuses,” he said of the shape he was in when he returned to Saskatchewan. “I feel like I was a bit behind and I do feel like I could have put in a better effort during the off-season. But things were super unexpected during COVID.

“Not to make any sort of excuses, because football is my career, but it was tough to try and find that balance taking care of a baby for sometimes 12 hours a day alone and then try to find the time for yourself. It was tough to balance during the time of COVID.”

Along with coming in a bit behind during training camp, McInnis also dealt with a hamstring injury that hindered his performance early in the season.

But the coaching staff now feel he’s ready to go.

“He’s been practising hard. He’s been working hard for the last month or so,” head coach Craig Dickenson said. “We feel like he’s 100 per cent. We feel like he’s been 100 per cent for a while so he’s earned a shot to play and with Picton being a little banged up, it just happened to work out.”

McInnis admits it’s a special feeling to play on Thanksgiving weekend.

“My daughter is here with me and it’s just me and her. I’m just grateful to have that. She’s going to be able to come out to the game,” McInnis said. “It’s going to be super exciting. Talk about something that will keep you motivated.”

Notes: Andrew Lauderdale will start at left tackle Saturday. Cam Jefferson moves to the practice roster … The Roughriders reminded fans Friday that proof of COVID vaccination (two doses) or a negative COVID test result are required to get into Mosaic Stadium on game day.