After falling in love with the CFL as a kid, Micah Teitz enjoying opportunity as Riders starter

Micah Teitz is living out a childhood dream in the CFL.

Growing up in Calgary, the Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker always preferred the Canadian style of football.

“I’ve just been a CFL fan my whole life. My dad really liked it and liked to show it to us and I’ve just enjoyed it, more than the NFL,” Teitz said.

And as a fan of the league growing up, his first start was extra special for him. On Oct. 11, 2019, not only did Teitz make the start in front of family and friends in Calgary, but he did so alongside one of the linebackers he grew up idolizing – Solomon Elimimian.

“I told him right after the game that it was pretty cool for me and my parents – we all know who Solly was – and that was pretty cool for me and to have my first game in Calgary where my family and friends could be there,” Teitz said. “The only thing that would have made it better was if we won.”

Now two years later, the 25-year-old has found himself an every-day starter with the Green and White’s defence. The Riders will face the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.

It has been a journey that started for Teitz in grade 6, when he first began to play football.

Like many other Canadian kids, Teitz, his three brothers and little sister grew up playing hockey.

But the Teitz brothers would eventually make the change to football due to less travel required.

Teitz played for the University of Calgary Dinos, something he had no doubt he was going to do.

“I always wanted to. They are the best team in Canada really and I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to get a scholarship from them and from there, my recruiting was over. That’s where I really wanted to play,” Teitz said.

After starring with the Dinos, including a Vanier Cup appearance where Calgary lost to the Laval Rouge et Or 31-26 in 2016, Teitz was drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the second round (14th overall) in the 2018 CFL Draft.

“I was lucky to get drafted early so I didn’t have to wait too long. We had a nice little party at the University of Calgary in our stadium. It was awesome to get a call from the Riders,” Teitz said.

“Whoever took me, I was going to be happy to go there, but staying in the West was something I wanted as well, so it was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me,” Teitz said.

But while he was a high pick, he would have to prove his worth on special-teams as the team had another Canadian linebacker in the starting spot – Cameron Judge.

“My first year was definitely an eye-opener for sure. I was ready to play but I didn’t have the confidence that I do now. It was just more of a get up to speed and learn. I wasn’t really in the defensive game plan really,” Teitz said. “Getting up to speed with special-teams and realizing it’s a legit part of the CFL and it is super important so you can’t be off at all, even if you just play special-teams. It was an eye-opener for sure but I really enjoyed it.”

Teitz said that special-teams is a place for guys to earn a starting CFL spot.

“If you can show that you can make plays out there and run out there fast and furious, (the coaches) definitely start to make plans for you and I feel like they have interest in you on defence when you start to get after it out there,” Teitz said. “I think it’s a stepping stone.”

In 2019, Teitz suffered an ankle injury five days into training camp, forcing him to miss the first two games of the season but he would once again become a contributor on special-teams, recording 11 tackles.

In 2020, Teitz found himself in the same situation as hundreds of players across the league when the CFL chose to cancel the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So, along with staying in shape for whenever the next CFL season would get underway, Teitz was able to take part in another hobby he enjoys – hunting.

“I really took it up more than ever (in 2020) because football season is always during hunting season so (I) never really get to go out too much when the CFL is on, but (I) just took advantage of it this year. We really only go for birds,” Teitz said.

He also bought a golf membership with some friends and hit the links while waiting for football to return.

“It was nice to spend some more time with my family and be in Calgary for the summer. I haven’t done that since I got drafted,” Teitz said.

But the CFL would eventually return and Teitz joined the team for yet another training camp, but this time there would be a chance for him to breakthrough to the starting lineup with Elimimian retiring, Judge signing with the Toronto Argonauts and Derrick Moncrief joining the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams.

“I felt like I had an opportunity once Cam left and I really wanted to seize the opportunity and take advantage of everything I was getting,” Teitz said. “There was a lot of linebackers in training camp so there really wasn’t too many reps to go around for everyone but you just had to do your best every play, stay locked in and make the plays when they came to you.”

Teitz emerged as a starting linebacker to begin the season along with Deon Lacey and A.J. Hendy.

“It means a lot. It’s something that I worked hard for in the off-season, I really wanted it. You have to go in each week and prove that you still belong there,” Teitz said. “You really have to show that you can still play at a high level and do your assignments when the bullets are flying for real. There’s lots of great players on my team and every team that can fill in for you if you’re having a few too many bad snaps so you’ve really got to bring it every week.”

Teitz currently sits third on the Riders with eight tackles and is second on the team with three special-teams tackles in 2021.

He thinks grade 6 Micah would find it pretty cool he would become a CFL starter.

“I always knew I would want to do something with sports. I think he could believe it and I think he would be pretty stoked to see me now.”