Pete Robertson pushing for starting job at Riders training camp

Playbooks and bruises are some of the biggest challenges a CFL player can face at training camp.

For Pete Robertson, one of the toughest things about coming to Canada is being away from his family.

“Remain 100 per cent and be available at all times for when the team needs me and to keep my mind clear — that’s the biggest thing you have to do, especially being from the States and being out this far from your family because I’m a huge family guy,” Robertson said after a Saskatchewan Roughriders training-camp workout Wednesday.

He has a young son who will be turning one in July, a daughter who is six and a stepdaughter who is eight.

“I’ve got a little crew and I love them all for sure,” Robertson said.

But his focus right now is improving on a 2021 CFL season and emerging as the team’s starting defensive end.

“Last year was kind of slow,” Robertson said. “We had the year off (due to COVID in 2020) and coming into camp, my body held up really good throughout camp. But the first game, I blew my hamstring out – it was like the first kickoff I believe.

“Once I got back in and started to get a feel and the speed of the game, learning the one yard off the ball, I started to get real comfortable and started to get to the natural me. I started to make some plays. I was coming through with some critical sacks at the end of the season.”

Robertson played in 11 games for the Riders in 2021, recording five sacks. He also appeared in both playoff games, adding six tackles and one sack in those.

Now into his second CFL season and with the departure of Jonathan Woodard — who had 10 sacks last year — Robertson has been the starter at a defensive end spot in camp opposite CFL sack king A.C. Leonard.

It had been a long time coming for Robertson to get back to starting football games.

The Longview, Texas product played at Texas Tech from 2012 through 15 under Kliff Kingsbury, who is now the head coach of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

“I will say about Coach Kingsbury is that he’s a great coach, a guy that I loved to be around, and he is going to push you to be at your greatest level possible — on and off the field. He’s a great guy and a hard-working man,” Robertson said.

While at Texas Tech, one of the things Robertson became known for along with his play was his Braveheart-like facepaint.

“In college, I came in with a chip on my shoulder and I was trying to find my identity,” Robertson said. “I think going out with me painting my face, usually you just have the black, but it got to a point and as the years went on I was finding red facepaint, white facepaint and I was just doing them but everyone loved them.

“Those days are over. I got older and right now it’s about being 100 per cent each day, taking it one day at a time and becoming a better me each day.”

After his time with the Red Raiders, Robertson spent some time in the NFL with Seattle, Washington and Arizona.

Following a second stint in Washington, Robertson was ready to come to the CFL in 2020, but the pandemic wiped out the season.

During the pandemic, Robertson and a friend from college started a trucking business.

“We all had to figure something out in that moment,” Robertson said. “I told him a long time ago, back in 2016-17, when I get the free time, I wanted to invest and become a partner with him as well so the process is still going down and still going pretty good.”

But the football field is where Robertson wanted to be, so he came to the CFL in 2021 after originally signing in 2020.

And he brought along one of his friends: Defensive tackle Anthony Lanier II.

“Paul Jones did a good job getting me in and just to have guys around you that you know, they gave (Lanier) a call after I gave Ant a call,” Robertson said. “He called me and was like, ‘You going up there to Sask?’ and I was like, ‘Yes, come up and I think we will both enjoy it.’

“Last year, with the defence and team in general having a great year, we enjoyed being up here in Canada.”

In order to take his game to the next level and become a starter in the league, Robertson will need to hold off challengers like CFL veteran Charleston Hughes throughout camp.

Riders add defensive lineman

The Roughriders announced Wednesday they had added defensive lineman Samuel Wright II to their roster. He attended rookie minicamp with the NFL’s Seahawks.

The Georgia product played four seasons at Princeton University, playing in 37 games as a Tiger. He recorded 107 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 20 sacks and four forced fumbles during his time there.

The Riders released Kailon Davis in an adjacent roster move.