Taylor Shire
Regina Leader-Post
Samuel Emilus has emulated his breakout performance.
After reaching the 1000-yard milestone in 2023 as a second-year member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the 26-year-old Canadian receiver achieved the feat in back-to-back years on Saturday against the B.C. Lions.
Needing 30 yards to hit the mark, Emilus put together a six-catch, 94-yard effort helping the Green and White beat the Lions 39-8 in Week 19 of the CFL season.
“It’s a good milestone to accomplish,” Emilus said after the game. “I couldn’t do it without the guys in this room; shout-out to the O-line; shout-out to my quarterbacks; shout-out to the receiving group.
“It’s a milestone individually but it goes to everybody else too.”
Through 17 games, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Montreal product — who was Saskatchewan’s first-round draft choice in the 2022 CFL Draft — now has 1,064 receiving yards on 87 receptions with five touchdowns.
With one game to go, Emilus leads all CFL receivers with 132 targets and is second in receptions while his yardage total ranks fourth in the league. He also leads all receivers in the league with 439 yards after the catch.
Last year, Emilus needed all 18 games to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark as he managed to accomplish the feat with a 137-yard performance against the Toronto Argonauts, giving him 1,097 yards on the season before being named the team’s most outstanding Canadian.
This year, he can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there won’t be any extra pressure to hit the 1,000-yard mark when the Riders — who are currently on a bye week — conclude the 2024 regular season against the Calgary Stampeders on Oct. 26.
“I was like 30 yards short, so I knew that the chance to get it was pretty high with two games left,” said Emilus. “But really during the game, that’s the last thing that was on my mind.
“I just wanted to make some plays to help the team win.”
After leading the team with 126 receiving yards including a career-long 88-yard catch against the Edmonton Elks, Emilus helped Saskatchewan officially secure a spot in the playoffs in Week 18.
Leading the team in receiving for a second straight week against the Lions on Saturday, Emilus aided in Saskatchewan officially clinch a home playoff game with a victory over B.C.
And for Emilus, the upcoming playoffs will be the first taste of the postseason in his young CFL career, as he was one year away from being drafted the last time the team was in the playoffs in 2021.
“The fans deserve it,” said Emilus, who is signed with Saskatchewan through 2025. “It’s a great accomplishment.
“First time in three years that I’ve made the playoffs in the CFL, so it was about time; I’m so happy.”
Now what’s still to be determined is which playoff game will be played at Mosaic Stadium.
If the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lose to the Montreal Alouettes on Oct. 26 and the Riders beat the Stampeders later that day, Saskatchewan will host the West Final on Nov. 9. If the Bombers beat the Alouettes, Saskatchewan’s game against Calgary won’t mean anything in the standings and the Riders will host the Lions on Nov. 2 in the West Division semifinal.
For Emilus, he’s approaching the week like any other.
“We can control what we can control and that’s going against Calgary and winning,” he said. “We’re going to let the chips fall and we’re going to go from there.
“I’m never going to root for anybody else other than the Roughriders.”
In the meantime, the Riders will enjoy the bye week this week before facing the Stampeders and then figuring out which opponent they will be seeing in the postseason.
“It’s the perfect timing,” Emilus said of the current break. “Bye week right before our last game so we’re going to be able to gear up right before the playoffs.”
SUBHEADLINE: Riders release six
The Roughriders announced the release of six American players from the expanded practice roster on Sunday.
Quarterback Michael Hiers, linebacker Braxton Hill, defensive back Robert Javier, receiver Tre Mosley, running back SaRodorick Thompson Jr. and defensive lineman Zion Tupuola-Fetui have all been let go. None of the six suited up in a game for Saskatchewan this season.
