Shaq attack: Cooper back for third stint with Riders

Shaq Cooper is back for Round 3 with the 2022 Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Cooper was signed by the Riders on April 5 and was with the CFL team for training camp, but he was released after camp.

He appeared in both pre-season games and recorded five carries for eight yards, one catch for seven yards, and three kickoff returns for 77 yards.

Cooper was signed by the Riders on July 27 as the team dealt with a COVID-19 outbreak, but he was released Aug. 10 after dressing for a game July 29 against the B.C. Lions.

Now that the Riders have been dealt some major blows to their running back corps with Frankie Hickson (wrist), Jamal Morrow (hand) and Kienan LaFrance (knee) all dealing with injuries, Cooper was re-signed on Friday.

“It’s a crazy journey. They say things happen for a reason,” Cooper said after Monday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium. “I was blessed to get another opportunity to come play ball and they gave me a call and now I’m back here.”

Cooper took first-team reps at tailback Monday as the team prepares to take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday. Kickoff for the game is set for 5:30 p.m. The Green Zone pre-game show begins at 3 p.m.

“You can throw (Cooper) in. He’s smart and he’s been here a couple of times, so we’re happy he came back. We had to work a little bit to get him because we had sent him home a couple of times, but it is pro football and we told him to be ready to roll and stay in shape and he has,” Riders head coach Craig Dickenson said. “I thought he looked good today.”

Cooper has been in the CFL since 2018, playing with the Edmonton Football Team for two seasons before joining B.C. for part of 2021 — a season during which he also had a stop with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

In his career, Cooper has 638 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

“It was a roller-coaster. I was told this before when I first came out of college: ‘It’s going to be a roller-coaster, just try to ride it and don’t fall off.’ I’ve been riding a roller-coaster and it’s getting towards the end, but I’m still hanging on,” the 29-year-old said.

Despite being released from the team twice before, Cooper admits he has been watching the Roughriders as the season has gone on.

“I’m home screaming at the TV sometimes,” Cooper said.

The run game has been strong for the Riders throughout the 2022 campaign, averaging 103.6 yards a game — the third-highest such total in the CFL.

Running back isn’t the only position dealing with injuries. Defensive lineman Anthony Lanier II (head) and slotback Duke Williams (ankle) haven’t played since Aug. 19 and Dickenson said they won’t know how much longer the two will be out until after the bye week.

Returner Mario Alford also missed practice with an ankle injury, while linebacker Darnell Sankey was given the day off.