What an NCAA rule change might mean for junior hockey in Sask.
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Previously, WHL players were declared ineligible to play NCAA hockey in the U.S.
Antoine Brooks Jr. delivered on a birthday present he promised his brother – an interception in the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ second preseason game.
“It was my brother’s birthday Saturday. It was all God – I was telling my brother I probably would get him an interception for the weekend,” Brooks Jr. said.
What made it even sweeter was the 25-year-old took that interception to the end zone in the team’s 28-27 preseason win over the Edmonton Elks.
“You just enjoy the moment,” Brooks Jr. said.
Along with the interception, Brooks Jr. added seven tackles and two special-teams tackles to his solid performance in the win.
“I just had to lay everything out on the line,” Brooks Jr. said. “Show the players and the coaches and the organization that I can really play football, and I enjoy playing football no matter if I’m dog-tired or energetic.”
A last-minute change forced Brooks Jr. to adapt to the boundary halfback position. He had been practising at the SAM linebacker spot in training camp.
“We started him there to see what he looked like, and he rose to the occasion,” head coach Corey Mace said.
With a strong performance in the preseason game, Brooks Jr. is looking to continue his pro football dreams by making the Riders’ roster.
It’s a dream with many twists and turns – including nearly giving it all up when he suffered a broken ankle and wrist as a high school quarterback.
“I was rolling out, and my foot got stuck in the ground of the turf – it was brand new turf – and broke my ankle. I fell on my wrist and broke it at the same time,” Brooks Jr. said.
“I quit right then and there, but when the doctor said she could get me out in six months, that’s when the confidence and everything else came back.”
After playing at Maryland, Brooks Jr. was selected in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2020 NFL Draft.
After a season there, he joined the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 – the team that won Super Bowl LVI.
“It was a blessing to play in the NFL,” Brooks Jr. said. “Right now, I just want to play football and play as hard as I can.”
He played for the Seattle Sea Dragons in 2023 and then was signed to the Memphis Showboats of the UFL in early 2024 but was released in March.
He then signed with the Riders in April.
“I like this green,” Brooks Jr. said. “It’s an opportunity – I don’t think about a lot of things. I just go with it because it came for a reason.
The deadline for final cuts is Saturday.
Notes: Mace said defensive tackle Micah Johnson, defensive tackle Anthony Lanier II and slotback Shawn Bane Jr. are all dealing with small injuries. He doesn’t expect their availability to be impacted for Week 1 against the Elks on June 8. Mace said a decision hasn’t been made for the backup quarterback spot. Mason Fine, Shea Patterson, Antonio Pipkin and Jack Coan are battling for the spot.