ROBSERVATIONS: Celebrating our own Arber Day … Rob’s relentless roster reflections … here’s to the hometowns … counting the countries

We are still waiting for an X-ception.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have yet to dress — or even sign — a player whose surname begins with X.

I was reminded of that on Tuesday night, while watching the Montreal Canadiens defeat the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1.

Montreal’s lineup included defenceman Arber Xhekaj, who in October of 2022 became the first NHL player with a surname beginning with X.

Xhekaj is among 8,700 players who have suited up for at least one NHL regular-season game.

The Roughriders, by contrast, have played or auditioned 4,821 gridders since the team’s inception as the Regina Rugby Club in 1910.

Of those 4,821 people, 2,214 have dressed for at least one regular-season or playoff contest.

But we have yet to put an X beside the X column, as it were.

In the NFL, the X-clusive fraternity consists of Oshane Ximines — an edge rusher with the New York Giants (2019 to 2023) and New England Patriots (2024).

Ximines stands alone among 32,000-plus players who have seen active duty for an NFL or AFL team. (No stats, unfortunately, on the XFL!)

The CFL, to this point, is X-less — unless first names are taken into consideration.

Five players named Xavier have been under contract to Saskatchewan:

• Xavier Adibi (linebacker, 2014).

• Xavier Fulton (offensive lineman, 2012 to 2016).

• Xavier Turner (running back, 2021).

• Xavier Ubosi (receiver, 2022).

• Xavier Walker (defensive back, 2016).

Only one of those players — Fulton — has appeared in a regular-season game. Most memorably, he was the starting left tackle for the 2013 Grey Cup champions.

Despite all of the above, football continues to be a game of X’s and O’s.

• X-TRA POINT: Sixteen products of St. Francis Xavier University have tried out for the Roughriders. Seven of them went on to represent the Green and White in regular-season competition — linebackers Paul Frlan (1997-98), Mike McCullough (2003-13) and Henoc Muamba (2016-17), defensive backs Imokhai Atogwe (2006-07) and Raye Hartmann (2016), receiver Devon Bailey (2017-18) and halfback Ken Townsend (1959).

• Let’s not forget Cincinnati-based Xavier University, which has brought us two X-Roughriders — halfback Jim Farasey (1938) and offensive lineman Russ Goings (1959).

SURNAME STORY

• Yes, dear reader, our expansive all-time players list includes Cummings and Goings. We have just referenced Russ Goings. Let’s not forget defensive lineman Darious Cummings, who was on the practice roster in August of 2017.

• In 1974, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted two future Hall of Fame receivers — Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. Swann and Stallworth are also part of the Roughriders’ personnel records. Charles Swann, a receiver, attended the Roughriders’ training camp in 1993. Defensive back Rollins Stallworth tried out for our favourite CFL team in 2016. It is important to note that Stallworth played receiver at Stanford.

• Our history also includes Swann Lake — with all due appreciation to Charles Swann and a current Roughrider, defensive lineman Lake Korte-Moore.

• The personnel files also include a Nurse and a Doctor. Defensive back Josh Nurse attended training camp in 2022. Middle wing Jim Doctor participated in one playoff game (1928) and one exhibition contest (1932).

FITTING FOOTBALL FEEDERS

• The most fitting collegiate affiliation belongs to running back Olaf Gunderson, who attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. St. Olaf’s Olaf tried out for the Roughriders in 1972.

• From the it-was-meant-to-be department, we bring you Bernie Bucholtz and Brian McKee, both of whom played junior football in Ontario for the North Bay Roughriders. Bucholtz, a running back, played in two games with Saskatchewan in 1955 and attended training camp the following year. McKee, a fullback, was at camp in 1955.

WHAT’S IN A NICKNAME?

• Nicknames? We have nicknames! Darryl (Corky) Barrett, Jack (Jersey) Campbell, C.R. (Bobs) Davidson, Alfred (Jitter) Fields, Orville (Fishy) Heron, Sylvester (Molly) McGee, Courtland (Slabs) Merrick, Cory (Poop) Johnson, Joe (Joker) Milovanov, Llewellyn (Yo) Murphy, Walter (Oke) Olson, John (Bricks) Peebles, Fred (Tubby) Renwick, Shaunterous (Boo) Robinson, William (Buck) Rogers, Lafayette (Skippy) Spruill, Harry (Harpo) Stilwell, Hartzell (Moose) Stinson, Neil (Piffles) Taylor, Russell (Punk) Thomson, Jerry (Pee Wee) Wasnik and Frank (Hoot) York.

• Alas, the historical record does not include the actual first names for Dope Morrison (1911), Smoke Robson (1919-20) and Smokey Wilson (1943). If you happen to know the answer, please let me know!

• Best current NHL nickname: Wi-Fi — the label that has been attached to the aforementioned Arber Xhekaj because, as explained by AI, “his last name resembles a complex, random Wi-Fi router password.”

• Best NFL nickname: Walter (Sneeze) Achiu, who played for the Dayton Triangles in 1927 and 1928.

• Defensive end/special teams sensation Aaron Patrick in 2025 became the third player from Dayton, Ohio to play a meaningful game for the Roughriders. He was preceded by halfback Hal Williams (1960) and offensive lineman Don Swafford (1980-83).

SHORTS’ STORY

• Swafford, who was named the Roughriders’ Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 1981 and 1982, completed his time in Saskatchewan by playing in the team’s first two regular-season games of 1983. After that, a Roughriders offensive lineman was not classified as an American until Pete Shorts made his CFL debut against the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sept. 10, 1995. Days between starting American offensive linemen: 4,439.

• Shorts was not described by his surname. He was listed at 6-foot-8.

• How times have changed. The Roughriders started three American offensive linemen for most of the 2025 regular season. In the playoffs, the team employed four American starters (Jermarcus Hardrick, Jacob Brammer, Payton Collins and Trevon Tate). Trevor Harris was not sacked in the Western Final or the Grey Cup Game.

• Until November of 2025, Saskatchewan had not started four American offensive linemen since the 1976 playoffs (Mike Dirks, Ralph Galloway, Sam Holden, Joe Miller).

GREEN GEOGRAPHY

• In 2025, the Roughriders added Eatonia to a geographic list that also included Estonia. Eatonia-born defensive lineman Johnathon Stevens attended Coors Light Training Camp in 2025 and spent time on the practice roster before rejoining the Saskatoon Hilltops. Running back Erkki Pukonen — from Pandivere, Estonia — attended training camp in 1966 after being drafted in the third round. Pukonen played collegiately at the University of Toronto.

• Eatonia is among 94 players’ birthplaces in Roughriders history. See also: Abernethy (one player), Allan (1), Annaheim (1), Assiniboia (2), Balcarres (1), Beechy (1), Bienfait (2), Big River (2), Biggar (1), Bladworth (3), Borden (1), Buchanan (2), Cabri (2), Cannington Manor (1), Canora (2), Caronport (2), Central Butte (1), Colgate (1), Cupar (1), Dafoe (1), Davidson (1), Delisle (1), Dysart (5), Earl Grey (1), Edenwold (1), Elfros (1), Estevan (2), Foam Lake (1), Fort Qu’Appelle (1), Francis (1), Gainsborough (1), Galilee (1), Glaslyn (1), Goodwater (1), Govan (1), Gull Lake (3), Hanley (1), Hazenmore (1), Herbert (1), Holdfast (2), Hudson Bay (1), Humboldt (3), Indian Head (1), Ituna (1), Kamsack (1), Kenlis (1), Kinistino (1), Kipling (1), Lafleche (1), Langenburg (1), Lipton (3), Lumsden (1), Maple Creek (1), Markinch (1), McKague (1), Melfort (5), Melville (2), Meskanew (1), Milestone (4), Moose Jaw (21), Moosomin (1), Mortlach (1), Naicam (1), Neudorf (2), Norquay (1), North Battleford (4), Ogema (2), Outlook (1), Pense (2), Pilger (1), Pilot Butte (1), Prince Albert (3), Qu’Appelle (2), Redvers (1), Regina (297), Rosetown (2), Rosthern (1), Rouleau (2), Rowatt (2), Saskatoon (101), Shaunavon (2), Swift Current (2), Tregarva (1), Unity (1), Val Marie (1), Vibank (1), Viscount (1), Weyburn (5), Whitewood (1), Wilkie (3), Willowbrook (1), Yorkton (7) and … whew! … Zenon Park (1).

• Viscount-born Al Johns, a Roughriders defensive lineman from 1980 to 1987, turned 70 on Wednesday.

• Earl Grey is aptly represented by Mel Fiissel, who attended training camp in 1968. Fiessel was a star running back for the Regina Rams in 1966 when they won the first national junior title in franchise history. The Rams defeated Montreal’s Notre Dame de Grace Maple Leafs 29-14 in Saskatoon on Nov. 11, 1966 — 15 days before Saskatchewan’s ice-breaking Grey Cup victory. The Roughriders also won 29-14, downing the Ottawa Rough Riders.

• Notre Dame de Grace’s starting quarterback against the Rams in the national final was Rip Ripstein, a Roughriders draftee in 1966. Given name: Richard Owen Ripstein.

COUNTING COUNTRIES

• Along with Canada and the United States, the Roughriders have signed or drafted players from American Samoa (4), Australia (10), Austria (2), Bahamas (1), Barbados (1), Belgium (1), Bermuda (1), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1), Burkina Faso (1), Cameroon (1), China (1), Chile (1), Congo (5), Croatia (1), Czechia (2), England (29), Estonia (1), Finland (1), France (5), Germany (6), Ghana (2), Greece (1), Haiti (2), Hungary (1), Ireland (2), Isle of Man (1), Italy (4), Ivory Coast (1), Jamaica (18), Kenya (1), Latvia (1), Lebanon (1), Mexico (4), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Nicaragua (1), Nigeria (11), Norway (1), Philippines (2), Poland (1), Romania (3), Sierra Leone (1), Samoa (3), Scotland (6), Serbia (2), South Africa (2), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1), Tonga (2), Trinidad and Tobago (2), Yugoslavia (3) and Zaire (1).

• Country count: 54.

• Players born outside of Canada or the United States: 161 — or 3.4 per cent of the team’s all-time total.

• Eight non-North American-born players have suited up for Saskatchewan in a Grey Cup victory. Receiver Gil Petmanis (Riga, Latvia) was a member of the 1966 Roughriders. The 1989 edition included linebacker Tuineau Alipate (Tonga), running back Milson Jones (Linstead, Jamaica) and kicker Dave Ridgway (Stockport, England). Defensive lineman Luc Mullinder (Auckland, New Zealand) was with the 2007 Grey Cup champions. Dwight Anderson (Spanish Town, Jamaica) was a key part of the defensive backfield when Saskatchewan won it all in 2013. Most recently, defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado (Rome, Italy) and punter Jesse Mirco (Fremantle, Australia) were in the lineup on Nov. 16 when the Roughriders defeated the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 to win the 112th Grey Cup Game.

• Other international players with the 2025 Roughriders: Defensive linemen Kendy Charles (Haiti), Charbel Dabire (Burkina Faso) and Sylvain Yondjouen (Ruisbroek, Belgium), offensive lineman Daniel Johnson (Nairobi, Kenya) and punter Joe Couch (Torquay, Australia). As well, Mullinder was part of CKRM’s broadcast team, alongside Dave Thomas (Weyburn).

• The lone Chinese-born player is Frank Hall, who grew up in San Francisco before starring at quarterback with USC. Hall, who was born in Tsingtao, tried out for the Roughriders in 1958.

ROLL CREDITS …

• Nice people who deserve a plug: Barry Zerr, Brenda Edwards, Angela Tillier, Joshua Bell, Bob Krause, Dr. Tom Robinson, Mike O’Donnell, Dylan Earis, Wayne Morsky, Xavier Fulton, Mel Fiissel, Lake Korte-Moore, Bill Dubecky, Al Johns, John Stallworth, Ralph Galloway, Aaron Patrick, Rod Schmidt, Tim Iannone, Chris Iannone, Sheryl Iannone, Ava Iannone, Thelma Loist, Megan McCormick and, with profuse thanks for a remarkable concert on Wednesday at Darke Hall, Michael Kaeshammer.

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