Many happy returns: Alford providing spark for 2022 Riders

Mario Alford has hit his stride with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The 30-year-old return man lost his job with the Montreal Alouettes after some injuries forced him to miss most of the 2021 CFL season and then the start of 2022.

During his absence, Chandler Worthy emerged as Montreal’s top returner, so Alford was dealt to the Roughriders on July 3 for a sixth-round pick in the 2023 CFL draft.

“It happens. I missed five games and I knew what I could do and this league knew what I could do,” Alford said. “I just have to stay healthy and keep my foot on the gas.”

Mario has been super for the Riders since the trade, returning two kickoffs and a missed field goal for touchdowns.

Alford had to battle through more than just the opposing cover team when he returned the second-half opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Saturday’s Banjo Bowl. Alford was one of the Roughriders dealing with a stomach virus during the game.

“During that play I was fine but (the illness) only hit me when I wasn’t moving around. But after the game, I felt real terrible,” Alford said. “I kind of fought through it — a lot of us did.

“It’s one of those things where it’s not an injury and it happens out of the blue. We didn’t know we were going to have an illness before the game … I had doubts in my mind I wasn’t going to go but I did it anyway. I fought it out and we were able to survive.”

Alford was recognized for his play in the game against the Bombers by being named the player of the game for Saskatchewan.

Alford will try to add to his stellar season in Friday’s showdown with the Edmonton Elks at Mosaic Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The Green Zone pre-game show begins at 5 p.m.

Alford’s play this season might have people thinking about a CFL legend that also wore the No. 2 jersey. Former Edmonton returner Gizmo Williams holds the CFL record with 31 career kick returns for touchdowns — 26 on punts, three on missed field goals and two on kickoffs.

While Alford isn’t near the career stats of Williams, he is a punt-return touchdown away from being in elite company. Only Dominique Dorsey (Toronto Argonauts, 2007), Bashir Levingston (Argos, 2004), Marcus Thigpen (Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 2010) and Williams (Edmonton, 1990) have attained the kick return hat trick in a season.

The Riders’ returner believes he can keep up the pace he’s on.

“It’s just in me. I can keep it up and I just have that mindset,” Alford said. “(The punt) is one of the ones I want to get and it will come.”

NOTES: Quarterback Cody Fajardo wasn’t at practice Wednesday after he and his wife, Laura, welcomed their first child earlier in the day. Offensive tackle Terran Vaughn and his girlfriend also welcomed a child Wednesday … The Roughriders announced Wednesday they have signed American defensive tackle Weston Kramer. The 6-foot-2, 290-pound went to training camp with the Ottawa Redblacks this spring. Kramer spent four seasons (2017-20) at Northern Illinois University and one (2021) at the University of Indiana.