‘Where I wanted to be:’ Riders’ Emilus excited about extension

Sam Emilus wanted to stay in green and white for the next couple of years.

“(Saskatchewan) is where I wanted to be. The team took a chance on me and drafted me early in 2022 and I just feel like it was the right decision to go and be here long term,” the 26-year-old receiver said during a Zoom call with reporters on Tuesday, one day after the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders announced he had signed a one-year contract extension.

The extension will keep the Montreal product with the CFL club through the 2025 season.

“The fans are amazing. That’s part of the reason I wanted to stay here,” Emilus said. “I might be doing groceries and they recognize me and want to take pictures or just say hi or tell me to keep doing what I’m doing and I am making them proud.

“The fans are the best in the league and that helped with my decision to stay here.”

Emilus, who was taken seventh overall in the 2022 CFL draft by the Riders, enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, hauling in 70 passes for 1,097 yards and six touchdowns.

That performance led to Emilus taking part in five NFL tryouts this off-season – with the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers.

“(I was) just going through the process of working out for NFL teams and see if I could fit or where they see me fit or anything like this. It didn’t work out but I’m glad to be back with the Riders,” Emilus said.

“In general, all the feedback was they liked what they saw on film: I could get the ball and catch it at a high point. Most of them were like, ‘We will see where we fit’ and just gave me good feedback. They decided to go in another direction, which is fine, because at the end of the day, I was in a good position with the Riders as it is.”

Emilus also felt like his 2023 season is just a preview of what he can do in the CFL.

“I feel like I can help the team even more next year on and off the field,” Emilus said. “I’m still going to make the plays I can when (the ball is) thrown my way. I’m just going to keep on grinding and the main goal is to win. As long as we can do that, I feel like there’s going to be progress for me individually and for the team.”

Emilus is also one part of what appears to be a new Canadian Air Force with the Riders. The term was used to describe a trio of Canadian receivers for the Riders back in the 2000s and 2010s – Rob Bagg, Andy Fantuz and Chris Getzlaf.

This season, Emilus is expected to line up beside Kian Schaffer-Baker and Brayden Lenius to start the season, with Mitch Picton in a backup role.

“We don’t see it as a Canadian receiver versus an American receiver type of thing. We just put our head down and work,” Emilus said.

This year’s Riders offence is expected to have a new look to it as well, with offensive co-ordinator Marc Mueller taking the reins of his first CFL offence.

“There is a good energy coming into the season with a new coaching staff. I feel like the sky is the limit for us. Last year, we had an injury bug at the quarterback position but this year we are starting back at square zero,” Emilus said. “We’re excited. I think it’s going to be an explosive playbook and we’re just excited to get it rolling.”

CFL training camps are set to begin in May.