Saskatchewan Roughriders' head coach Corey Mace was ecstatic to see Antoine Brooks Jr. make his first career CFL interception against the B.C. Lions in Week 4.
"I could cry being as happy as I am for that guy at that moment. I had the best seat in the house for that one, it was incredible," Mace told the Rider Broadcast Network Fifth Quarter post-game show.
"You're talking about a guy who's been waiting patiently, does nothing but work his tail off to try to help our offence. On look teams, he competed his tail off during training camp and the boy's got magnets in his freaking hands. This is what he does. An opportunity for him to get out there and to make that play, the whole sideline, as you saw, was so elated for him."
The Green and White beat the Lions 37-18 to extend the team's undefeated record to 4-0. During the game, Brooks Jr. recorded one interception and one special teams tackle.
"I was going through the motions, honestly. This all happens in practice," Brooks Jr. said post-game. "When it goes out there, it moves slow and that's kudos to my teammates."
For Brooks Jr., it was his first time dressing for the Riders in 2025. The 26-year-old played suited up in one game for Saskatchewan in his rookie season last year.
"It finally shows that I was a good asset to the team, anything I do is really for the team," Brooks Jr. said. "I try to make everything happen for the team."
The Riders' defence registered three interceptions against the Lions. The five-foot-11, 215-pound Brooks Jr. credits preparation leading into games for team success.
"We touched the ball throughout the week," Brooks Jr. recalled. "It could happen like that. As long as you're touching it in practice throughout the week, you can most definitely touch it in the game. You practice how you play, play how you practice."
Before coming to the CFL, Brooks Jr. was selected in the sixth round, 198th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2020 NFL Draft. In 2021, he played for the Los Angeles Rams and won a Super Bowl with the team. The Lanham, MD native made over 1.1 million USD in his NFL career.
The next stop on Brooks Jr.'s journey was the XFL, now known as the UFL. He played for the Seattle Sea Dragons in 2023 and then had a short stint with the Memphis Showboats in 2024.
Brooks Jr. enjoys a bye week while preparing himself for his potential return to the lineup in Week 6.
"Rest up and get back to the film room," Brooks Jr. said about his bye week plans. "I want to make sure I'm perfect, in case I'm playing next time."
The Riders host the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, July 11 at Mosaic Stadium. Catch the pre-game show with Teagan Witko, Justin Dunk and Wes Cates at 4 p.m. Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder have the game call at 7 p.m. You can hear extensive coverage on the 620 CKRM Co-operators Rider Broadcast Network.
