Johany Jutras/CFL
We’re struggling to find bright spots with the 2-15 Saskatchewan Roughriders right now but there’s one so radiant that you need to wear shades to look at him.
Linebacker Jeff Knox Jr. has had nothing short of a jaw-dropping rookie campaign with the Green and White. The 23-year old freshman from the California University of Pennsylvania has already smashed the franchise record for tackles in a season and is poised to do much, much more.
A six-tackle performance in the Riders’ 42-19 loss at Calgary on Saturday gave Knox 107 stops on the year, two better than the franchise record held by George White, Barrin Simpson and Jerrell Freeman. He’s still got one game left to go, but it’s impossible to imagine he’ll overtake BC’s Adam Bighill (117) for the league lead.
No matter. Knox is poised to be named not only Saskatchewan’s Most Outstanding Rookie for 2015, but also Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
It probably doesn’t shock you that this has never before been done. Hopefully he garners some serious attention for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie award, as the only two Roughriders to have won it in the past are Weston Dressler (2008) and Vince Goldsmith (1981).
It’s quite a feat for a young kid from Pittsburgh, Pa. who couldn’t find Saskatchewan on a map even if you offered him a million dollars up until a year ago.
“My first exposure to the CFL was a guy I played with at Cal-PA, Erik Harris,” Knox told us on 620 CKRM’s SportsCage this week. “My freshman year was his senior year. After a year out of professional football, he was continuing the dream of playing professional football and he ended up getting a call from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“He made that team and has been a three-year starter for them. He told me to keep the door to the CFL open if I don’t make it in the NFL Draft. So when the Riders called me and extended the opportunity, I jumped at it.”
While with the Vulcans, Knox played a variety of positions including running back, linebacker and defensive back. It displayed his versatility, but also showed his coaches were never settled on which position he belonged to. It may have hurt him coming out of NCAA because no NFL teams showed any interest. It caused him to consider his career might be over.
“Definitely,” Knox continued. “Coming from a Division II school, your opportunities are limited and I’ve only seen a handful of guys from my school even go to the NFL. If the Riders hadn’t called, I was going to go to the Army.
“It was a blessing that they called and a big relief. I’m playing professional football. It’s not a dream come true – it’s more than a dream. It’s my life now. I’m very happy and thankful for that. I give my all every game because a lot of my former teammates wish they were still playing. It’s no big thing for me to give my all every game.”
Knox was identified by the Riders’ U.S. scouts who alerted the football operations staff here in Regina about this “Tweener” who was graduating from California, Pa. He was extended an invitation to the club’s minicamp in Florida, then rookie camp in Regina, and then training camp in Saskatoon before he eventually made the team.
“The hardest part, to be honest with you, at first it was the game, the rules and the speed of the game from college to the pros, but now that I’m up to speed with that stuff, now it’s pretty much getting used to guys leaving and guys coming in,” Knox explained. “I see players come in and then see them go. It’s a business now. The biggest thing now is trusting the guy beside you, and developing that trust knowing he might not even be there next week.”
And the biggest shocker regarding Knox? Perhaps it’s that he won the Fans’ Choice Player of the Year for the 2015 season and was presented with the award at the club’s final home game two weeks ago.
“Oh man, definitely,” Knox beamed. “I’m still surprised now because it was me, John Chick, Rob Bagg and Weston Dressler all in the same category and I know how much work those guys have put in to build their name and how much the fans love them. For them to choose me, a rookie, to win it over those guys, it’s mind-boggling to me.”
The press box at Saturday’s game in Calgary featured a few NFL scouts and you’ve got to think Knox has popped up on somebody’s radar down south given his brilliant play. But as any good soldier, he just marches on and will let the chips fall where they may.
“I strongly believe that God has a plan and whatever God wants me to do, that’s what it is,” said Knox, who’s under contract through the 2016 season. “If He wants me to go to the NFL, He’ll do it. If He wants me to stay in Saskatchewan for the rest of my career, I’m willing to accept that. I could go for what’s happening here. I love being in Saskatchewan and am happy to be here now, through 2016 and perhaps after.”
Knox says he was blessed to get an opportunity to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
However the truth is, we were the ones blessed to get him.
