Heading for home: Korte-Moore returns to Ottawa with Riders

It’s going to be a homecoming Friday for Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end Lake Korte-Moore.

The 23-year-old is originally from Ottawa, but he hasn’t played a football game in the city in six years. He played his U Sports football with the UBC Thunderbirds.

“It’s going to be nice; I’m going to see family and go for dinner. It’s my dad’s birthday so I’m going to go see him,” Korte-Moore said in advance of Friday’s CFL game between the Roughriders and host Ottawa Redblacks. “I’m going to have a lot of people out at the game who have been around through my entire football process.

“It’s going to be bittersweet – the first time in six years I’m back playing in Ottawa.”

Korte-Moore will start for the Riders as they try to earn an important road win. Kickoff for the game at TD Place is set for 5 p.m. The Green Zone pre-game show is to begin at 3 p.m.

Korte-Moore started playing football in Ottawa when he was six years old.

“Ottawa is where I found myself in football and it’s going to be a pretty big game and a pretty cool, surreal moment since I grew up going to the Redblacks’ games and I went to the Grey Cup that was in Ottawa (in 2017),” Korte-Moore said.

“It’s going to be awesome – the first time (for me) ever playing in that stadium.”

Growing up, a winter sport had Korte-Moore’s heart and it wasn’t the traditional one for most kids across the country.

“I was a ski racer so my winter was filled with skiing all the time,” Korte-Moore said. “(Football) kind of just became my summer sport to do.

“I just kept on doing it and kept on doing it and eventually I had to make that decision between football and skiing and realized school could be paid for through football and scholarships.”

When it came to deciding where he wanted to continue football, Korte-Moore elected to travel across the country and attend UBC.

“As a kid, you just want to get away and experience university but at the same time, I wanted to stay at home,” Korte-Moore said. “Vancouver gave me that option in a way of getting away and going to school out there, but at the same time I had my family. I had my grandparents out there and my aunt and uncle.

“That’s why I consider Vancouver home to me as well because I have so much family there.”

Korte-Moore said he took a lot from his time as a member of the Thunderbirds.

“(Defensive co-ordinator Pat Tracey) made sure it was a pro environment every single day so that coming to this level, it’s a little bit easier for a lot of our guys coming out of UBC,” Korte-Moore said.

Saskatchewan selected Korte-Moore with the third overall pick in the 2023 CFL draft, sending him to the place where one of his coaches at UBC, Shomari Williams, once played. Williams was selected first overall by the Riders in the 2010 draft.

“When I got drafted here, Shomari was right there in the room with me and he said, ‘I beat you by two picks.’ But he was really happy I got picked here because he knew I would have a good experience,” Korte-Moore said.

“It was a little different than what I expected it to be. I thought maybe they would phone before (the draft) and things like that. I was just waiting there with my family … I was waiting on the third pick and they said the pick was in and they were about to announce it. I actually looked at Shomari and I’m like, ‘I guess I’m not going to live up to your legacy and go to Saskatchewan.’

“I’m just sitting there drinking a beer and on the TV it comes and everyone just goes crazy in the entire room. It was a surreal moment and definitely special and something that will stick with me forever.”

Like many rookies before him, Korte-Moore has found out exactly what sort of grind it is to go through an entire pro season.

“It has been a little difficult,” he admitted. “This off-season I had to train for the combine and really sacrifice my body in a way and do a lot of things I am not normally used to.

“My body took a toll and right when you get drafted, you go straight to camp.”

It has been an ongoing process but Korte-Moore thanked his coaches and veterans in the locker room for teaching him what he needs to do during the season to remain ready to go.

“I can’t thank them enough but they are the reason that now I feel like I’ve hit a second stride in the season and I’m just ready to keep on going and hopefully we will get to the Grey Cup and be at our best by then,” Korte-Moore said.

He’ll try to recreate the success he had against Ottawa earlier in the year, when he had four tackles and recorded his first career sack in Saskatchewan’s 26-24 victory over the visiting Redblacks on Aug. 6.

“I think it will be different. I had a pretty good game against them earlier this year so that was awesome,” Korte-Moore said. “I think it’s going to be surreal and it’s going to be awesome to see so many friends and family out there.

“Hopefully everyone is wearing green – I hope I see a lot more green in the stands than red or black – but it’s definitely going to be a moment that I am going to take in before the game and after the game.”