10 years since Taylor Field: Remembering the farewell game of Oct. 29, 2016

Mike Benson was closely linked to Saskatchewan football history long before he joined the Roughriders earlier this year.

He snapped the ball on the final two plays that resulted in points at Taylor Field — back-to-back 48-yard punt singles by the B.C. Lions’ Richie Leone on Oct. 29, 2016.

Jokingly, the Roughriders’ long snapper was asked if the Canadian Football Hall of Fame was aware of his impact on a landmark game that was played 10 years ago today.

“I’m pretty sure they already have my entire body encapsuled in bronze right now,” the 14^th-year CFLer replied. “They’re just waiting for it to be revealed.

“It’s a timing thing right now, because there’s never been something so great that has been done before. They had the source the bronze from many different places so it’s 100-per-cent authentic, similar to how they did it in Star Wars.”

The force was with the Lions when the Roughriders capped what was dubbed The Farewell Season at historic Mosaic Stadium. They led 22-6 before Leone — after receiving textbook snaps from Benson — launched punts for rouges at 2:55 and 8:10 of the final quarter.

At the time, Benson was nearing the end of what would be his first of five seasons with the Lions. He had earlier played in Edmonton (in 2012 and 2013).

Benson subsequently played for the Ottawa REDBLACKS (in 2019) and the hometown Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2021 to 2025) before signing with the Roughriders on June 17.

“As a newcomer to Regina and Saskatchewan in general, I know there’s a phenomenally deep history with the football club and at old Taylor Field,” he said. “You go from the wood benches to a little bit of a crest in the middle of the field. Those are all things that gave it its character.”

And let’s not forget the confetti cannon.

When the Lions visited Regina for a pre-season game that was played on June 11, 2016, the game was delayed for slightly more than an hour during the second quarter after the firing of a confetti cannon resulted in damaged power lines and blown fuses.

“The whole thing just blew up,” Benson noted.

Fittingly enough, confetti also was part of the closing ceremonies after the final game at Taylor Field. The program featured appearances by Roughriders icons George Reed, Roger Aldag, Gene Makowsky and Darian Durant.

Three current members of the Roughriders were part of the equation for the occasion. Benson has already been referenced. Kent Maugeri, now the Roughriders’ Special Teams Co-ordinator, was a first-year assistant coach at the time. Tevaughn Campbell, now in Year 2 of his second stint with the Roughriders, wrapped up his first season with the Green and White in 2016.

Campbell was introduced to the old stadium as a member of the University of Regina Rams.

“It’s kind of crazy, because I was here for The Inaugural Season (of new Mosaic Stadium in 2017),” Campbell noted. “It is hard to believe that it has been a decade (since the final game at Taylor Field).

“When I was with the Rams, I would go out on the field and think, ‘Man, this is where the pros play. This is exciting.’ I’d never had that opportunity before.

“Being able to take that from the Rams and go to the Riders was a good thing. (Taylor Field) has already been a little piece of my history.”

Campbell actually spent his first CFL season with Calgary. He was with the Stampeders when they played at Taylor Field during the pre-season and the regular season in 2015.

So he, like Benson, was introduced to the cramped, amenity-free visitors’ dressing room at the old stadium. What was that like?

“Well, I’ve never been to prison,” he responded, “but everything that the movies have told me is that’s probably the closest thing to it.

“Everything was painted white, probably 36 times over. Everything was leaking. There were dripping pipes. The showers didn’t have hot water. There was a lot of rust. You have to have proof of tetanus shots before you went into the shower.

“But that was all part of its character — all part of its deep history.”