Taylor Shire
Regina Leader-Post
There will be no trash talk from Ryquell Armstead this week.
After being released by the Ottawa Redblacks on Sept. 3, the Saskatchewan Roughriders running back is set to face his former team for the first time on Saturday (1 p.m., CTV) when the Redblacks visit Mosaic Stadium in Week 17 of the CFL season.
However, leading up to the game the 27-year-old said he isn’t feeling any extra motivation to stick it to his former team.
“Not at all,” said Armstead. “I don’t look for the bad. I don’t hold grudges, especially in this sport.
“You’ve got to have a strong mentality. You’ve got to have a strong mindset so don’t hold grudges.
“Just keep going and look for the next opportunity and just make sure you stick and make your opportunities worth it.
“It’s going to be amazing to see familiar faces and the guys I fought (with) and put in the time, blood, sweat and tears (with). But at the end of the day, I’m with Sask.
“I’m ready to ride and I look forward to the opportunity.”
Following his release from Ottawa — which Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce called “in the best interests of the team” — Armstead was signed by Saskatchewan on Sept. 17.
And after just three days of practice with his new club, he was inserted into the starting lineup and proceeded to rush for 207 yards on 25 carries in a 37-29 win over the Calgary Stampeders on Friday.
“It felt amazing; I felt good,” said Armstead. “That was just what the team needed for us to win.
“Ultimately if they need me to get 25, 30 (carries), I’m going to take them. If they need me to get 10, I’m going to do that (too).”
While Armstead’s running ability was never in question, during his time in Ottawa, he was called for objectionable conduct twice while also being fined by the CFL for verbal abuse.
On Friday, he didn’t take a penalty in his debut with the Riders, but he was visibly heated at one point early in the game before cooling down; a good sign according to his new head coach.
“He took a little bit of a late hit there,” Mace explained this week after practice. “And he composed himself.
“I talked to him a little bit on the sideline and really just told him I was proud of how he reacted. And he understood.
“I think a little of just what his past is, teams might try him a little bit out there but I’m looking forward to seeing him progress like the way he has.
“Extremely proud of the guy for how he handled himself because a lot of people would have been upset in that situation, but he kept his composure.”
Armstead — who had three 200-plus yard games in college with Temple University from 2015 to 2018 — recorded the fourth highest single-game rushing total in Roughriders franchise history.
For Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris, it was fun to watch.
“He was awesome,” said Harris, who completed 16 of 18 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 17 yards and a score. “The fact that he got here four days before that … It’s no easy task learning the playbook.
“He did a tremendous job handling the mental workload first and foremost but physically, I mean shoot, I don’t think I need to complement him there.”
For his efforts, Armstead rightfully received a game ball by the team after the victory, which snapped a seven-game winless skid for Saskatchewan.
“That means a lot,” said Armstead. “I haven’t got a game ball since college.
“It’s a testament to these guys believing in me and me accomplishing the things I that I knew I could do.
“That’s the ultimate gratitude you can give in this game; your guys loving on you, giving you the confidence you need and that you’re deserving of.
“So, I’m very grateful for that.”
Now, the 5-foot-11, 220-pound New Jersey native — who played 18 games in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2019 to 2021 — is looking for an encore performance this week.
“It doesn’t really matter; I’ve got to go do it again,” said Armstead, who once had a 337-yard performance at Millville Senior High School. “For me, I’ve got a ‘what’s next?’ mentality. I have since college.
“I just want to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. So, for me, I’m just fighting this week to prove it wasn’t a fluke.”
SUBHEADLINE: Injury report
Linebacker C.J. Reavis (knee) missed a second straight practice but was on the field observing on Wednesday.
However, Mace doesn’t appear to concerned about his starting SAM linebacker.
“We’re just waiting to get some news back looking at some things,” said Mace. “I anticipate he’ll be fine.”
After being limited on Tuesday, defensive linemen Micah Johnson (back) and Caleb Sanders (back) were full participants on Wednesday at practice. Fellow defensive lineman Bryan Cox Jr. missed the workout with an illness.
Offensive lineman Jacob Brammer (knee) logged another full workout and could draw into the lineup at right guard in place of Nick Jones this week, while defensive lineman Anthony Lanier II (knee) is also on track to return after another full workout.
“It’s trending that way,” Mace said of Lanier playing this week. “He’s had a good couple days of practice. He’s moving fairly well.”
Linebacker Jordan Herdman-Reed (leg) left practice midway through and was listed as a limited participant. Defensive back Godfrey Onyeka (foot) was a full participant after sitting out Tuesday while linebacker Adam Auclair deals with a groin injury.
Meanwhile, Canadian receiver Ajou Ajou (knee) is expected to be out this week with rookie Dhel Duncan-Busby on track to make his first career start.
SUBHEADLINE: Riders add defensive back
The Roughriders signed American defensive back Robert Javier on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder comes to the CFL after attending training camp with the Tennessee Titans this year. Prior to that, the New York native played five seasons at Towson University in Maryland, where he earned back-to-back all-conference accolades in 2022 and 2023.
tshire@postmedia.com
