Regina Pats trade scoring leader and captain Tanner Howe
14m ago
Tanner Howe was was the third youngest captain in the Regina Pats' history.
Christian Albright had some shining moments in his CFL debut.
The 24-year-old Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end had two sacks — on back-to-back plays, no less — and a forced fumble in a 36-28 loss to the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday.
“It was great to get back out there finally and help contribute to the team,” Albright said after practice at Mosaic Stadium. “We didn’t get the end result we wanted to get, so we are going to work on that. But it was good to be back out there and get back into the groove a little bit.
“It’s a great feeling when you’re out there making plays. I know I made my family back home proud, so I was real happy for that.”
Albright was given the opportunity due to injuries to Anthony Lanier II and Nic Dheilly. It remains to be seen if Albright’s performance will get him back onto the roster against the B.C. Lions on Friday, as Lanier II has returned to practice.
Kickoff for the game at B.C. Place is set for 8:30 p.m.
But Albright has garnered some attention from his coaches for his play.
“I thought he played great and that was what we saw in practice in Christian,” Riders head coach Craig Dickenson said. “He is a dynamic player. We knew if we got a chance to play him, there’s a good chance we would see what we saw.
“I think he might have played his way onto the roster. We will see when we get everybody back. That’s the nice parts of late in the season is when you get a chance to put a guy out there who has maybe been on the practice roster all year and he shows well. I was real proud of him.”
Albright signed with the Riders in February after spending training camp with the Chicago Bears in 2022. While at Ball State from 2017 to 2021, he recorded 260 defensive tackles, 16.5 sacks, two interceptions, nine forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
The product of Kennesaw, Ga., admits it’s tough to have to wait for an opportunity to play.
“That’s a part of being a pro. You have to wait and continue to stay ready so when the opportunity does come, you are ready to seize the opportunity,” Albright said.
If he suits up for his second game, Albright will join a Riders defensive front tasked with stopping quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. along with the B.C. rushing attack.
Adams Jr. has thrown for 3,547 yards with 25 touchdowns and 16 interceptions this season while adding 289 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The Lions’ rushing attack hasn’t been prominent this season, averaging just 85.1 yards per game. Only Saskatchewan has rushed the ball at a lower pace (83.9 yards per game).
But the rushing defence has been the Riders’ Achilles heel in recent weeks. They’ve given up 721 yards on the ground over their past three games, all of them losses.
“We just have to get back to playing sound football,” Albright said. “It feels like most of the times we let off big runs and runs that allow them to get up to 200 yards, it’s stuff that we do – guys getting out of gaps or missing tackles and stuff.
“We just have to get back to doing what we do and play with better technique and stuff like that.”
Notes: Along with Lanier II, running back Jamal Morrow (knee) and offensive tackle Philip Blake (calf) returned to practice on Tuesday. Safety Jayden Dalke (knee) logged his second full practice of the week and is on track to return to the lineup for the game in Vancouver.