Awachie watch: 100th game as a Rider looms
Rob Vanstone
The odds are against most undrafted players suiting up for even one CFL regular-season game.
Albert Awachie, a notable exception, is poised to play his 100th game with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The 33-year-old fullback, a Roughrider since 2017, will reach the milestone on Friday when the Calgary Stampeders visit Mosaic Stadium for a key West Division game.
“It’s pretty neat,” Awachie said. “I’m sure I’ll think about it more once the season is over.
“I’m focused on Calgary right now, so I’ll celebrate the milestones afterward.”
Awachie celebrated his first CFL contract on May 16, 2017. Shortly before training camp, he signed with the Roughriders as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Toronto.
He didn’t wait very long to make a positive impression. He made the first tackle in a CFL game of any description at new Mosaic Stadium, felling a Stampeders kickoff returner to open the Roughriders’ 2017 pre-season finale.
Awachie’s transition to Canadian professional football also was eased by a conversation he had with the Roughriders’ Offensive Co-ordinator.
“It was Stephen McAdoo at the time,” Awachie recalled. “He pulled me into a room and said, ‘Hey, if you really take this stuff seriously, you won’t be one of these one-year people who come in and come out. I think you have the talent.’
“He was the first one to kind of show that vision for me. I took his word and tried to hone in, day in and day out.
“And here I am.”
Friday’s regular-season game will be Awachie’s 107th in the CFL. He spent seven games with the hometown Toronto Argonauts in 2024 before rejoining the Roughriders for the remainder of that season — the team’s first under their current Head Coach.
“(Awachie) is one of my favourite stories,” Corey Mace said of the 6-foot-3, 260-pounder.
“He comes out of college as a receiver and now people could mistake him for a defensive lineman or an offensive lineman. He’s a behemoth. He’s a huge man and he plays physical. We love those kinds of things around here, so it was great to have Albert back.”
Awachie now provides the type of veteran presence he noted and appreciated as a rookie. In 2017, the Roughriders’ roster included two fellow undrafted players — centre Dan Clark and receiver Rob Bagg. Clark and Bagg will be inducted into the Plaza of Honour later this month, alongside Paul McCallum.
“It’s obviously a tough league to make, but I understood what kind of separated the players,” Awachie said. “You see Rob Bagg, who was always running after practice, back in the day. I’d see the preparation of Dan Clark, who was always in the meeting rooms and always studying.
“We have people like that today — like Logan (Ferland) and Yoshi (Jermarcus Hardrick). They’re the same type of characters or archetypes. I tried to mold my character after them and look at the veterans ahead of me. That just gets me to this point.”
Awachie will be the 88th player to join the Roughriders’ 100-game club. Although that list may seem lengthy, consider that only four per cent of the 2,183 active-roster players in franchise history have made it to 100 games with the Green and White.
The complete list is as follows:
287 — Gene Makowsky (1995-2011)*
271 — Roger Aldag (1976-92)*
246 — Ron Lancaster (1963-78)*
238 — Dave Ridgway (1982-95)*
236 — Reg Whitehouse (1952-66)*
235 — Ron Atchison (1952-68)*
223 — Chris Szarka (1997-2010)*
220 — Ray Elgaard (1983-96)*
216 — Don Narcisse (1987-99)*
205 — Mike Anderson (1984-95)*
205 — Bill Clarke (1951-64)*
205 — Dan Rashovich (1987-99)*
203 — George Reed (1963-75)*
202 — Jeremy O’Day (1999-2010)
197 — Bobby Jurasin (1986-97)*
194 — Glen Suitor (1984-94)*
187 — Wayne Shaw (1961-72)*
185 — Paul McCallum (1993-2005, 2015)*
185 — Mike McCullough (2003-13)*
183 — Bob Poley (1978-84, 1988-92)*
182 — Alan Ford (1965-76)*
174 — Omarr Morgan (2000-06, 2008-10)
172 — Vic Stevenson (1983-92, 1998)*
171 — Gary Brandt (1967-77)*
169 — Clyde Brock (1964-75)*
169 — Dan Farthing (1991-2001)*
167 — Jorgen Hus (2015-25)
158 — Ted Urness (1961-70)*
157 — Ted Dushinski (1965-75)*
157 — Darian Durant (2006-16)*
156 — Ralph Galloway (1969-79)*
153 — Sully Glasser (1942, 1946-57)*
152 — Gary Lewis (1985-94)*
151 — Eddie Lowe (1983-91)*
150 — Jack Abendschan (1965-75)*
150 — Gord Barwell (1964-73)*
147 — Bill Manchuk (1971-80)*
146 — Eddie Davis (2001-09)*
143 — Rob Bagg (2008-17)*
141 — Bob Kosid (1964-72)*
141 — Steve Molnar (1969-78)*
140 — Neal Hughes (2004-14)*
140 — Kennedy Nkeyasen (1999-2007)
139 — Len Legault (1957-65)
139 — Al Benecick (1959-68)*
137 — Lawrie Skolrood (1974, 1979-87)*
137 — Jocelyn Frenette (2002-10)
135 — Don Walsh (1955-64)
134 — Bryan Illerbrun (1978-83, 1986-89)
132 — Ken McEachern (1974-82, 1984)*
131 — Dan Clark (2012-22)*
128 — Bill Baker (1968-73, 1977-78)*
128 — Scott Schultz (2001-09)*
127 — Chris Getzlaf (2007-15, 2017)*
126 — Don Bahnuik (1966-74)
126 — Gene Wlasiuk (1959-67)*
124 — Bruce Boyko (1990-96)
122 — Larry Bird (1971-78)*
122 — Weston Dressler (2008-15)*
121 — Al Johns (1980-87)
120 — Albert Brown (1987-95)
119 — Henry Dorsch (1964-72)*
116 — Andrew Greene (1997, 1999-2006)*
115 — Ventson Donelson (1991-2000)
115 — Larry Dumelie (1960-67)*
114 — Chris Best (2007-16)*
114 — Brett Lauther (2008-present)
113 — Wayne Drinkwalter (1989-95)
113 — Rob Lazeo (1998-99, 2002-06)
112 — Bruce Bennett (1966-72)*
112 — Brendon LaBatte (2012-19)
112 — Tim Roth (1971-77)*
110 — Mike Cassidy (1948-55)*
110 — Garner Ekstran (1961-67)*
110 — Doug Killoh (1953-60)*
108 — Steve Mazurak (1973-80)*
107 — Ed McQuarters (1966-74)*
106 — Reggie Hunt (2002-07)*
106 — Neil Quilter (1979-86)
106 — Dale West (1962-68)*
103 — Jason French (2001-06)
103 — Corey Grant (2002-08)
102 — Wayne Pyne (1939-41, 1946-53)
102 — Randy Srochenski (1994-2001)
101 — Kent Austin (1987-93)*
101 — Vince Goldsmith (1981-83, 1988-90)*
100 — Luc Mullinder (2004-11)
100 — Albert Awachie (2017-present)**
*— Plaza of Honour inductee
**—To reach 100 games on Friday