From being in the stands to playing, Peter Godber has always been a CFL fan

The CFL has always meant a lot to Peter Godber and his family.

Growing up, his dad and grandfather imprinted on him how important the CFL is to Canadians.

“As a kid, I was more (into the) NFL than my dad, who supported the CFL for his whole life,” the 29-year-old Saskatchewan Roughriders centre said.

“He said, ‘Son, maybe you need to support the CFL a little bit more. These are the guys that are Canadian and these are the guys that work second jobs and are in the communities coaching football and these are the local heroes we have.’”

“He said to strive to play whatever football you can, but it would be really cool to play in the CFL, because you are Canadian.”

So Godber spent plenty of time with friends and family watching his hometown Toronto Argonauts as well as attending camps and events hosted by the team.

“I felt connected to the CFL, whereas the NFL I had no connection to,” Godber said.

While he never got to meet CFL veteran Chris Van Zeyl growing up, he was a big inspiration for Godber.

“Chris Van Zeyl was on the Argos when I was going to the games and stuff like that,” Godber said. “I was kind of zeroing in on the receivers and thought it would be cool to be a receiver and my dad was like, ‘No, no, no, you want to be like that guy. He’s a Canadian O-lineman and he’s a local kid who went to McMaster.’

“It was him I looked up to and it is kind of surreal to see what a long career he has had. I was watching him in high school and now I’m playing against him on the weekends.”

While growing up in Toronto, Godber also got a taste of how passionate Rider Nation can be when he attended the 2007 Grey Cup at Rogers Centre. Saskatchewan hoisted the trophy that day after a 23-19 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“I remember how loud it was and how many green jerseys were there,” Godber said. “I went down the whole week for the Grey Cup festivities week and I remember I got to meet Damon Allen and Geroy Simon.

“That was really cool for me. I still have a T-shirt of Geroy Simon in my closet at home and I still have a photo of Damon Allen and me at my home as well.”

Now, Godber is fully acquainted with Rider fans halfway through his first season with the team.

On Sunday, for the first time as a pro, Godber will line up against the B.C. Lions as a member of the opposing team when the Riders host their West Division rivals. Kickoff for the game is set for 5 p.m.

“It was a great experience I had in B.C. Obviously the first two years we didn’t have a winning record but last year we really came out of the gate with Nathan Rourke and we came out rolling,” Godber said. “Rick Campbell is an amazing coach and Neil McEvoy is an amazing general manager.

“I had a great time there and have nothing but good things to say about them.”

While Godber played his high school football in Toronto, he was offered a scholarship to go to Houston to play for the Rice University Owls.

When it came to the 2018 CFL draft, Godber thought he’d have a chance to once again play football closer to home. But with the third pick, it was the Lions who took him, meaning he was even further away from Toronto than before.

“It’s a further plane ride from Toronto than Houston is,” Godber said. “Spending five years there was great. They had a great group of veterans there to show me the ropes and how to play football in the CFL.”

It also came full circle for Godber when it Simon called to tell him the Lions were picking him.

“It was awesome. I got the call from Ed Hervey, who I look up to still to this day, and he passed the phone to Geroy which was cool because of what a legend he is in the CFL,” Godber said.

For the long-time CFL fan, it was surreal to know he would be playing in the league he grew up watching.

“I had been looking forward to it for a long, long time,” Godber said. “It was a really cool experience. As a Canadian kid who is a fan of the CFL, it was an awesome experience.”

But this past off-season, Godber decided to trade in the orange and black for green and white and sign with the Riders as a free agent.

“I had options in free agency, but what intrigued me about Saskatchewan was the management here with Jeremy O’Day and the leadership with Craig Dickenson and (offensive line coach Anthony Vitale),” Godber said.

“Also, Rider Nation played a huge factor. I always told myself I wasn’t going to force it but it would be really cool if I got to play for the Riders. It really means something to wear green in this city and it’s really the heartbeat of the CFL.”

Godber missed the first meeting this season between the Riders and Lions due to a hand injury. While he has history in B.C., he said it’s tough to miss any type of game.

“It’s frustrating to miss Calgary, Edmonton and B.C.,” Godber said. “To me it’s just another game and it doesn’t matter who the opponent is.”

Godber will look to anchor a Riders offensive line that will try to hold off a Lions pass rush that is led by CFL sacks lead Mathieu Betts. The defensive end has 10 sacks so far in 2023.

“No one works harder in practice than Mathieu Betts,” Godber said. “He comes off the ball every play. No matter if it’s a Day 1 walkthrough or a Day 3 full-on practice, he is going hard.

“It’s great to see him succeed. I hope he doesn’t succeed this weekend but it’s great to see as a Canadian player.”