ROBSERVATIONS: Hughes’ views on Harris … thank you, Dale Sabo! … Riders’ QB catches … the buzz about Duncan-Busby

Quarterbacks destined for the Hall were certain to fall when Charleston Hughes was in the vicinity.

Over 14 CFL seasons, Hughes sacked each of the seven Canadian Football Hall of Fame-bound single callers he opposed.

“That’s one of the things that I pride myself on — being able to touch every quarterback that I ever played against at least one time,” said Hughes, who was enshrined on Thursday in Hamilton.

“Those are great quarterbacks who are all on the Hall of Fame list. I’m blessed to even have the opportunities to touch the field with those guys. They were all stand-up people and I enjoyed every minute of sacking every last one of them.”

That list includes four current Hall of Famers (Anthony Calvillo, Ricky Ray, Michael Reilly, Henry Burris) and three active CFLers who are certain to be inducted (Trevor Harris, Bo Levi Mitchell, Zach Collaros) once they retire.

In fact, Hughes’ first three sacks as a Roughrider were at the expense of Ray when the Toronto Argonauts visited Mosaic Stadium on June 15, 2018.

Resplendent in Green and White, Hughes also sacked Reilly (five times) and Mitchell (four). A former Heisman Trophy winner (Johnny Manziel) also hit the turf for one of the 35 sacks Hughes amassed over three seasons in Saskatchewan.

While with the Calgary Stampeders, Hughes trapped Burris, Calvillo, Collaros and Harris for losses. In fact, Hughes reached a milestone (75 career sacks) when he tackled Harris in the pocket during the Stampeders’ visit to Ottawa on July 8, 2016.

A sack was elusive the five times Hughes, as a Roughrider, faced Harris. Such is life when the opposing quarterback has one of the quickest releases in CFL history.

“One thing that Trevor is known for is getting that ball out fast and being accurate with the football,” Hughes said. “There aren’t a lot of quarterbacks who play that style of football.

“I can only think of one other quarterback who made sure they got the ball out on time and was more of a rhythm thrower — and that was Anthony Calvillo. Really, Harris and Calvillo are the only two who play that style of football, where they get the ball out fast, don’t hold on to it very long, and make plays.”

Although Hughes spent a relatively short time in Saskatchewan, he is tied for fifth in franchise history in multi-sack games. He had nine such performances, as did A.C. Leonard and Fred Perry.

Hall of Famer Bobby Jurasin leads the list at 34, followed by Vince Goldsmith (22), Gary Lewis (14) and John Chick (12).

In terms of three-sack games, Hughes had two for and three against the Roughriders. Fifteen of his 136 career sacks brought legendary Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant to the turf.

Also worth noting: Hughes’ list of fallen Hall of Fame QBs will expand if Nathan Rourke cements his credentials with a few more stellar seasons. Hughes toppled Rourke when the B.C. Lions visited Mosaic Stadium on July 29, 2022.

Later that year, Rourke was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian. He repeated as the winner in 2025 — adding Most Outstanding Player to his lengthy list of accolades.

Rourke and Harris will be the opposing starting quarterbacks when the Roughriders return to action on Friday in Vancouver.

HALL OF FAME, PART 2

The Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame’s boardroom was the site of a memorable meeting with Dale Sabo.

The 65-year-old son of Roughriders alumnus Bill Sabo paid a visit while accompanied by some priceless memorabilia — most of which was donated to the Hall.

Included was a leather helmet worn by Dale’s father with the Regina Dales junior rugby club in 1937. The Roughriders had donated the headgear to the Dales.

Bill attended training camp with the Roughriders in 1939 and 1940. In fact, he made the team in 1940 but opted to serve in the Royal Canadian Navy. He thus relocated to Halifax, where he met his future wife, Gloria.

Bill returned to Regina after the Second World War and played in six games as a halfback with the 1947 Roughriders.

Sabo was among the first group of Roughriders to travel to a road game by air. The team’s ground-breaking flight, to Calgary, was soon followed by a Roughriders-Stampeders game at Mewata Stadium.

Bill also made the Roughriders’ roster in 1948. However, a growing family led to the decision to focus on vocational matters. Bill and Gloria had three sons (Dale, Daniel and David).

Dale moved to Toronto in 1986 before relocating to Ottawa, where he still resides.

“This is still home,” he said during while visiting with two employees of the Hall — Robyn Jensen (curator) and Matthew Gourlie (communicators co-ordinator — and one intruder (me).

Various artifacts were spread across the table in the boardroom. Included was a photo autographed by Bill’s friend and teammate, Gabe Patterson, who starred for the Roughriders in 1947 and 1948. The team’s first Black star entered the Plaza of Honour in 2021.

I began hyperventilating when I noticed a sports collectible from 1971. Dale had in his possession a CFL album that included the pictures of 225 players.

At age seven, I collected the full set by repeatedly accompanying Mom to the Tom-Boy grocery store, located in the Hill Avenue Shopping Centre. (The outlet is now known as Lakeview Fine Foods.)

The photo set helped to nurture my love of the CFL. Each time a new set of player photos was issued, my familiarity with the league’s personnel grew.

My treasured album still exists, sort of. It is wrinkled, much like its owner, and tucked away in a corner of a spare bedroom. The glue, used to affix each photo to the album, was not the best choice of adhesive.

Dale, by contrast, treated his album with great care and preserved it accordingly. Hence my heart palpitations.

Imagine my reaction, then, when he said: “It’s yours to keep.”

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to Dale Sabo!

DOUBLE SEVENS

No. 7 deflected a pass to No. 7 when the Roughriders met the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Labour Day Rematch on Sept. 12.

After a Harris throw was tipped by defensive end Willie Jefferson, the Roughriders’ quarterback caught the pass and burrowed ahead before being stopped for a loss of one.

Just like that, Harris added his good name to a list of Roughriders players who have caught a pass while lined up as a quarterback.

Most memorably, Kerry Joseph caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from receiver Jason Armstead against the visiting Argonauts on July 22, 2006. Joseph shattered the Roughriders’ record for yards on a reception by a quarterback. The previous record of 24 was set when Don Weiss found Ron Lancaster on a trick play in Edmonton on Sept. 12, 1970. Other QB receptions of note:

12 yards — Glenn Dobbs (from Doug Belden) at Winnipeg, Sept. 22, 1952.

12 —Lancaster (from Bob Pearce) at Edmonton, Sept. 18, 1971.

8 — Mason Fine vs. Ottawa, Aug. 6, 2023 (Fine snared a pass after it was deflected by defensive lineman Michael Wakefield and caromed off offensive tackle Colin Kelly).

3 — Darian Durant vs. Toronto, June 30, 2016 (Toronto’s Brandon Isaac deflected a pass back to Durant).

-1 — Trevor Harris (as previously referenced).

-4 — Cody Fajardo vs. Edmonton, Sept. 16, 2022 (pass deflected back to Fajardo).

-5 — Darian Durant vs. Calgary, Nov. 7, 2009 (pass deflected back to Durant).

-6 — Darian Durant at Winnipeg, Sept. 13, 2009 (pass deflected back to Durant).

-11 — Joe Paopao vs. B.C., Oct. 26, 1986 (pass deflected back to Paopao).

As well, there are 15 instances of a Roughriders player listed as a quarterback catching a pass while lining up as a receiver:

40 — Rick Cassata (from Lancaster) vs. Edmonton, Oct. 30, 1968 (Lancaster).

32 — Jeff Bentrim (Kent Austin) at Edmonton, Nov. 5, 1989.

30 — Bentrim (Austin) at Calgary, Oct. 29, 1989.

16 — Bentrim (Austin) at Calgary, Nov. 12, 1989 (playoffs).

14 — Bentrim (Austin) at Edmonton, Nov. 5, 1989 (Kent Austin).

13 — Bentrim (Austin), at Edmonton, Nov. 5, 1989.

11 — Dave Grosz (Bob Ptacek) vs. Edmonton, Sept. 25, 1961.

11 — Bentrim (Austin) at Calgary, Nov. 12, 1989 (playoffs).

10 — Bentrim (Austin) at Calgary, Nov. 12, 1989 (playoffs).

9 — Bubba Wyche (Lancaster) vs. Winnipeg, Sept. 4, 1972.

9 — Bubba Wyche (Lancaster, again) vs. Winnipeg, Sept. 4, 1972.

6 — Grosz (Ptacek) at Calgary, Aug. 19, 1961.

6 — Wyche (Lancaster) vs. B.C., Sept. 12, 1972.

4 — Wyche (Lancaster) at Calgary, Aug. 22, 1972.

1 — Grosz (Ptacek) vs. Edmonton, Sept. 25, 1961.

DHEL’S NUMBERS SWELL

Dhel Duncan-Busby tied a Roughriders record for receptions in a Labour Day Classic (10) when the Blue Bombers visited Mosaic Stadium on Sept. 6.

He matched Steve Mazurak (1977), Caleb Holley (2016) and Duron Carter (2017).

With 148 receiving yards, Duncan-Busby is fifth among Saskatchewan participants in a Classic — behind Gord Barwell (202 in 1970), Curtis Mayfield (189 in 1996), Tom Campana (163 in 1975) and Ray Elgaard (155 in 1986).

Duncan Busby’s receiving-yardage total was Roughriders’ best in a Classic in 30 years.

With seven receptions on Sept. 12, Duncan-Busby moved into a five-way tie for fifth in a Labour Day Rematch.

Mike Saunders had a record nine receptions when the Roughriders completed a home-and-home set with Winnipeg in 1994.

Don Narcisse (1995 and 1998) and Kenton Keith (2006) had eight catches during a September visit to the Manitoba capital.

Duncan-Busby’s seven receptions tied him with Elgaard (1991), Narcisse (1991), Joey Walters (1977) and Kian Schaffer-Baker (2021).

The Labour Day Rematch was established as an annual event in 2004. However, there are eight earlier examples of a home-and-home set that begins with a Labour Day weekend game in Regina.

Prior to 2004, the Roughriders and Blue Bombers played back-to-back at this time of year in 1977, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1998.

This dusty historian has arbitrarily decided to include those games in the Labour Day Rematch records.

ROLL CREDITS …

• Nice people who deserve a plug: Hunter Gronick, Sabrina Gronick, Paul Gronick, Emily Gronick, Spiro Gourgaris, Brady Keller, Ken Dumont, Lucas Barrett, Aiden Macknak, Diego Orella, Wanda Schmockel, Rhonda Kerr-White, Robyn Jensen, Matthew Gourlie, Ethan Williams, Carly True, Leah Sharpe, Rebecca Perigny, Asia McCullough, Marcus Sayles, Chantelle Sayles, Nova Sayles, Allister Aalders and, one more time, Dale Sabo.