‘I’ve dreamed of this moment’: Riders’ Ryan excited for home opener

The CFL game Monday is shaping up to be a very special one for Saskatchewan Roughriders punter Jon Ryan.

Not only is it Ryan’s first Canada Day since signing with a Canadian team after spending 13 years in the NFL, but it’s the culmination of a childhood dream.

The Regina-born punter will run out of the tunnel at Mosaic Stadium wearing green and white for the first time in the regular season as the team hosts the Toronto Argonauts.

“I’ve dreamed of this (moment) for a long time,” Ryan said following the team’s walkthrough Sunday at Mosaic Stadium. “Being on Canada Day makes it even more special for me.

“I’ll have a ton of family in the house (Monday) and I have friends coming from Seattle and Los Angeles. It’s a pretty great opportunity to show off this great stadium and this franchise but also show off the city of Regina to some people that are not from here.”

Ryan said the only thing that could make the day more special was if his dad, who died nearly 13 years ago, could be in attendance.

“I don’t know if he ever would’ve thought this day would come where I came back to Regina to play for the Riders but it would definitely be special for him to be here,” said Ryan, who played in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.

“I think it was a dream of his to be able to see me play for the Riders but at the same time he always told me, ‘Go play at the highest level you can. Put whatever to the side you need to put to the side and just go after that dream and go after those goals.’ Luckily I was able to do that and it worked out.”

Ryan reached the top of the football world during the 2013 NFL season with the Seahawks, who raised the Lombardi Trophy that season as Super Bowl champions. After a successful career in the NFL, Ryan decided to come home to Regina and signed with the Roughriders in the off-season.

His signing resonated with many in Rider Nation and his jersey became a popular item to own.

“It’s really flattering,” Ryan said. “I take a lot of pride in being from Regina, being from Saskatchewan and being Canadian and it means a lot to me that these people take pride in me being here and showing that in jersey sales is pretty cool.”

It had been a while since Ryan punted in the Canadian game. He punted, kicked and played receiver for the University of Regina Rams before being drafted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2004. He last punted in a CFL game in 2005.

Ryan admitted it has taken a bit to get used to the CFL rules when it comes to punting.

“About 99 per cent of punts in Canada are returned whereas I had years in the U.S. that I punted 70 times and it was only returned about 20 times,” Ryan said. “It’s really cool because it is a full team effort; all 12 guys have to be on the same page. A punter can’t control the game quite as much as they can in the U.S.”

Head coach Craig Dickenson said he was disappointed by the play of the punt team over the team’s first two games.

In Week 1, Hamilton Tiger-Cats returner Frankie Williams returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown in the Roughriders’ 23-17 loss on June 13.

In Week 2, Saskatchewan didn’t give up a return touchdown but the Ottawa Redblacks’ Ryan Lankford returned four punts for 100 yards, including a 42-yarder. Two plays after that latter return, Ottawa quarterback Dominique Davis hit R.J. Harris with a seven-yard touchdown pass during the Redblacks’ 44-41 victory on June 20.

“We’re going to continue to work on a few things to add a few shots to (Ryan’s) game but I thought he improved a lot in the second game as a punter. We just need to do a better job with placement and a little better job with hang time,” Dickenson said earlier in the week.

Dickenson said Ryan is still getting used to the bigger field and placing his kicks.

“There’s a real premium on placing the football where you want it,” Dickenson said. “He’s got a big leg and that’s one thing you can’t coach. He has been a fantastic guy to coach and he really cares about doing well for the team and he’s a professional.”

After two weeks, Ryan is averaging 46.9 yards per punt.

Kickoff for the Roughriders’ home opener is set for 5 p.m. The Green Zone pre-game show gets underway at 3 p.m.