McRoberts set to return to Riders’ lineup for playoff showdown

Paul McRoberts doesn’t need to look hard to find inspiration.

Much like the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ slotback has a passion for football, his mom — Sherry Triplett — has a passion for her own career.

“She works at the Marriott, so she cleans hotels and she loves it. She has been doing it for 26 years,” McRoberts said.

“When I went as an undrafted free agent to the (NFL’s Los Angeles) Rams, she told me, ‘My hotel cleaning is like your football. I’m passionate about it.’ I said, ‘How can you compare that to football?’ but I didn’t understand that she really loved (her job). It was a passion.

“She would finish her room and go help other people with their rooms and that’s how I am out on the football field. I make sure everyone else is good. I learned everything from her and that will and that desire and that passion for what I do.”

It was that passion that has kept McRoberts working hard on the practice roster in his football career.

McRoberts has only appeared in three regular-season games in his career — two with the Rams and one with the CFL’s Roughriders.

McRoberts was finally given a chance Aug. 21 to dress for a CFL game after spending 2019 on Saskatchewan’s practice roster. In a 23-10 win over the Ottawa Redblacks, McRoberts caught all four passes thrown his way for 42 yards.

But when the Riders returned from their bye week following the game, McRoberts found himself back on the practice roster to make room for slotback Ricardo Louis.

McRoberts said he wasn’t really given a reason as to why he was put on the practice roster after the game.

“I wasn’t worried about it. I knew the time would come again that I would get back out there with the guys and help,” McRoberts said. “I wanted to play my role and do what I can to help this team and now I’m back and that’s all that matters.”

After Louis suffered an Achilles tendon tear in the regular season finale — a 24-3 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats — McRoberts is set to start in the West Division semifinal against the Calgary Stampeders.

Kickoff for Sunday’s game at Mosaic Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m.

“It’s like I’ve been here before — and I really haven’t — but mentally it’s like I’ve been here before. This is what I’ve been preparing for,” McRoberts said. “I would have been really sad if I didn’t get to play and we lost and stuff because this would have been two years in a row I didn’t get to play.”

While McRoberts said his demotion was tough to accept, he said he used the opportunity to work on himself both on and off the field.

“I’ve still got a mom back home working and my mom’s not finished, so at the end of the day I’ve got to work twice as hard as her,” McRoberts said. “Life is short and you’ve just got to live. I could have decided to do something else in life but football is easy to me.”

Notes: Linebacker A.J. Hendy has left the team, according to head coach Craig Dickenson. Dickenson said Hendy was unhappy with his playing time, which led to the decision … Quarterback Paxton Lynch has returned home but remains on the team’s roster. Lynch is unable to travel with the team due to being unvaccinated against COVID-19 … The Riders could be making a change to the backup quarterback position with Mason Fine getting a look this week. Fine went 5-for-9 passing for 64 yards in limited snaps in the game against Hamilton.