CALGARY - Jason Armstead resurrected his CFL career and the Saskatchewan Roughriders' return game at the same time.
Saskatchewan was last in the league in punt returns when they signed Armstead on Aug. 31.
The 30-year-old Ole Miss product was released by the Winnipeg Blue
Bombers in March. He says he was trying out for the United Football
League's Orlando Tuskers when Saskatchewan general manager Eric Tillman
summoned him to Regina.
"Still
working at it, still prayed up and still having faith that someone will
call and it happened just as I knew it would," Armstead said Friday as
snow fell on McMahon Stadium.
Armstead was a known quantity to Tillman because of his previous stints with the 'Riders in 2007 and 2006.
In fact, he is the last Roughrider to return a punt for a touchdown.
He ran the ball back 90 yards on July 20, 2007, against the Edmonton
Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium.
"I remember it, sort of like yesterday," Armstead said.
Saskatchewan has gone even longer without scoring a touchdown on a
kickoff return. Their last was by Corey Holmes versus the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
back in 2005.
Armstead, from Moss Point, Miss., feels Saskatchewan's return team
is due for a big play. Sunday's Grey Cup championship game
against the Montreal Alouettes (TSN, 6:30 ET) would be the perfect time
to do it.
"Every game you want to take one back," he said. "What better stage to do that on (than) in a Grey Cup situation?
"We're having trouble in that area, getting across the tape … it's one of those situations where you never know."
Saskatchewan's punt return stats crept up to sixth in the league
after Armstead's return. In 10 regular-season games, the five-foot-10,
175-pounder finished sixth in punt returns (387 yards) and 11th in kick
returns (806) in the league.
A dynamic runner with a flair for big plays, Armstead instilled his
teammates with confidence in their return game.
"I really believe that a lot of improvement came about the time
Jason Armstead came and then we also got some other people healthy,"
head coach Ken Miller said. "We went through a time when we were
struggling with our returning game and we had a slew of linebackers who
were hurt and they're the people who make up our coverage teams.
"We got Jason Armstead and we started to get healthy in our linebacking corps and that really helped us become better."
In a 27-17 West Division final win over Calgary on Sunday, Armstead
set the stage for Saskatchewan's second touchdown of the game with a
75-yard kickoff return.
Special teams coach Kavis Reed teased him that he could have taken
it all the way and ended the Riders' return TD drought.
"Jason has made a difference in our season," Reed said. "Because of
his returns we've had good field position. There's only one game since
he's arrived that we've lost a field position battle and his field
position has always translated into points.
"He's been a huge reason why we're here today."
Armstead is well-travelled in the CFL, having played for five
different teams in his six years in the league: Ottawa, Hamilton,
Saskatchewan, Montreal and Winnipeg.
He broke in with the now-defunct Ottawa Renegades in 2004. He was
the East Division's nominee for special teams player of the year as a
rookie with 700 kickoff return yards and 821 punt return yards.
But he's had a knack for parting ways with teams that went on to
either win or play in the Grey Cup. Saskatchewan traded him to Hamilton
during their run to a CFL championship in 2007.
Armstead started the 2008 season with Montreal, but was released and
headed to Winnipeg. The Alouettes made it to the Grey Cup, but lost to
Calgary.
"My mom and I can laugh about it because when my career started, I
was playing for Pittsburgh, got released and they won the Super Bowl
that year," he said. "That's just a part of life. Those stumbling
blocks are placed in front of you not to tear you down, but make you a
better man."
Armstead has the word "speed" tattooed on one calf and "kills" on the other.
"I'm getting of age right now," he said. "I think I'm going to cover that up in a couple of years."