Saskatchewan Roughriders' receiver Samuel Emilus has eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the second time in as many seasons.
Emilus’ six receptions for 94 yards in the Rider's 39-8 win over B.C. on Saturday pushed him past the milestone, increasing his season total to 1,064 yards.
“I knew I had to put some work in and prove myself again, that’s exactly what happened," Emilus said.
The yardage is a byproduct of the chemistry Emilus has established with quarterback Trevor Harris. Through 19 weeks, Emilus leads the league in targets with 125. His connection with Harris comes from their focus on the practice field.
“Trev pays so much attention to detail and it's only right for us to pay attention to details too because he knows what he's talking about. Whenever we're in practice, we are connecting and have that chemistry. When it comes to game day, we just gotta show up," Emilus said.
The 26-year-old from Montreal racked up 1,097 yards on 70 receptions with six touchdowns in 2023. That production earned him the Roughriders nomination for Most Outstanding Canadian. NFL teams took notice as he worked out for the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and Green Bay Packers. That did not parlay into a contract offer and Emilus signed a two-year extension with Saskatchewan in April.
Emilus is the fifth Canadian receiver in Riders history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Included in that group are Jeff Fairholm, Ray Elgaard, Chris Getzlaf and Andy Fantuz.
The six-foot-one, 200-pound pass catcher exceeded the milestone in Saskatchewan’s win in Week 19. The victory clinched a home playoff game and kept the Riders' hopes alive for a first-place finish in the West Division. This despite a mid-season seven-game winless stretch and Emilus feeling that their best is yet to come.
“We haven't reached our full potential, but we are headed the right way. We want to put the league on notice," Emilus said. "We still have work to do to get to the big goal. We're trying to get to the Grey Cup, well not just get to the Grey Cup but win it.”
Saskatchewan returns to the field Saturday, October 26 to wrap up the regular season when the Riders host the Calgary Stampeders. Countdown to Kick-off begins with a chance to watch Justin Dunk and Wes Cates live at 2 p.m. on YouTube. Luc Mullinder and I join at 4 p.m. with the kick-off to follow at 5 p.m. on the Co-operators Roughrider Radio Network.
