The entire crowd, all 29,000 fans inside Mosaic Stadium, seemed to stop breathing during the third quarter of Thursday’s CFL game.
Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Cody Fajardo got tackled by a Hamilton Tiger-Cats defender, went down awkwardly and slammed his fists angrily on the artificial turf. Fajardo slowly limped to the sideline, admitting later he was worried he had broken an ankle, while the crowd held its collective breath. It was one day after the Roughriders had traded away veteran Zach Collaros, leaving Fajardo as their most experienced, undisputed starter.
Surrounded on the bench, Fajardo got his injured ankle taped so he could return to the game for the next offensive series. The Roughriders needed their quarterback, too. He scampered for the winning touchdown, choosing to keep the ball for a five-yard run in the final minute of a 24-19 victory.
Fajardo said he still had two sore ankles from his previous game, so he was happy a “sprinkle of Jesus” allowed him to finish the game. When he left the stadium he stopped at the nearby Queen City Exhibition to enjoy a celebratory corn dog. He said corn dogs inspire him.