Super Mario: Alford looks to bring Riders’ return game to new level

Mario Alford is looking to power up the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ special teams.

The return man is to make his Riders debut Saturday against the Toronto Argonauts in the Touchdown Atlantic game in Wolfville, N.S.

On July 3, Saskatchewan traded a sixth-round pick in the 2023 CFL draft to the Montreal Alouettes for the 30-year-old Alford.

“I think it was all business,” he said. “I’m just happy to be here and get to work. They brought me in here to do what I do.

“(I can) do it all. When it comes to my returns, just wait and see. I don’t want to talk too much, I just want to show the fans what I’ve got.”

Kickoff for Saturday’s game is set for noon. The Green Zone pre-game show begins at 10 a.m.

Alford played nine games with the Als over three seasons, returning 26 punts for 486 yards and three touchdowns and adding nine kick returns for 477 yards.

Prior to joining Montreal in 2019, Alford played six games for the Argonauts in 2018, returning eight kickoffs for 170 yards.

Due to the emergence in Montreal of Chandler Worthy — who returned a kick for a touchdown in back-to-back weeks against the Riders this season — Alford’s services became available and the Riders made a play for them.

Prior to the team’s acquisition of Alford, running back Jamal Morrow — who entered the week as the league’s rushing leader — was Saskatchewan’s primary return man.

“(Alford) brings big-play ability. Not that we didn’t feel like we had it, but it’s a different level with him,” said head coach Craig Dickenson, who was a special-teams co-ordinator before becoming the head coach in 2019.

“We’re happy to have Mario. I never liked going against the guy and usually in coaching when you hate going against someone, when you can add him, it’s usually a good thing.”

“(Dickenson) told me when the trade happened that he’s been watching me from a distance,” Alford noted. “Last year, I broke my ankle and didn’t get to play Saskatchewan but he said he had been watching me from afar so he knows what I have and he knows what’s in me. I think he’s really relying on me to get it done.

“I’m back now, I’m 100 per cent and I’m just ready to get after it.”

The Riders released their depth chart Friday and it features a few other new names.

Blace Brown, who was released at the end of training camp, will start at defensive halfback after re-signing with the Riders on Tuesday. Amari Henderson, who was starting there, is out this week with an illness.

Defensive end Pete Robertson suffered an ankle injury in last week’s game against the Ottawa Redblacks and is out. So is defensive tackle Garrett Marino, who’s serving the first game of a four-game suspension he was handed by the CFL for his actions against Ottawa.

Demarcus Christmas is back in the lineup at the defensive tackle spot.

Mitch Picton (ankle) is out this week so rookie Sam Emilus gets his first career start at wide receiver. Canadian receiver Wesley Lewis makes his debut on the active roster.