During the 2005 CFL offseason, the Saskatchewan Roughriders lost star quarterback Henry Burris to the Calgary Stampeders in free agency.
"The offer was so lopsided in one side," Burris recalled on the SportsCage. "You got to go where the money is because the game only lasts so long. You're putting your body on the line each and every day. You got to make the money when you get the opportunity to."
Signing with the Stamps marked Burris' second time with the team where he played from 2005-2011. Initially he started in the CFL with Calgary from 1997-1999. In total, 'Similn' Hank' won three Grey Cups in his career, two with the Stampeders, one in 1998 and another in 2008. His third Grey Cup victory came in 2016 with the Ottawa Redblacks. He won the Grey Cup MVP in 2008 with the Stamps and in 2016 with the Redblacks.
Two times Burris was recognized as the CFL's Most Outstanding Player, 2010 with Calgary and 2015 with Ottawa. Burris retired in January 2017 and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2020. Currently, Burris is a co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Florida A&M University.
Looking back, Burris enjoyed the rivalry between his Stampeders and the Riders. He recalls how memorable his first time coming back to Saskatchewan was in 2005.
"We experienced the CFL at some of the best times the league ever had because of how electric those Saskatchewan-Calgary games were," Burris said. "I still remember the first time I came back to Regina, the entire place was abuzz. It was a very emotional game, I was crying in pre-game, crying during the game, post-game. Even though we won, a lot of people we call family and friends were in the stands cheering against us, cheering with us."
Burris keeps up to date with the CFL from down in Florida and approved Saskatchewan signing reigning Most Outstanding Defensive Player, defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. to a one-year contract extension through the 2026 season.
"That's a key signing because that man can do it all," Burris explained. "Whether it's on special teams, defence, he's a guy, a ball hawk, always around the ball. Keeping him there in Riderville was a big acquisition for the team and one that's going to help put them in position to get into the playoffs and contend to get back to the Grey Cup."
The five-foot-eleven, 200-pound cover man led the CFL last year with eight interceptions and was third in the league in special teams tackles with 20 and finished the 2024 season with 71 defensive tackles.
