It wasn’t all that long ago that former Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver Joe Robustelli was little more than the rawest of raw rookies attempting to crack a CFL team’s roster.
But once he found his stride in the Canadian game last season, it was all systems go for the 29-year-old Stamford, Connecticut product — and now he’s about to have a chance to accomplish a rare feat in the CFL with back-to-back Grey Cup victories.
The Voice of the Roughriders Dave Thomas caught up with Robustelli during Grey Cup week in Calgary and had a chance to chat with the third-year veteran about his early days with Saskatchewan and how his game has progressed since.
“It's crazy to think about how this all started and what my whole journey has been,” Robustelli said. “Now I'm already a Grey Cup champion and I have the opportunity to go back-to-back. There were times when I got home and I was watching the film of the West Final that we just had and I'm sitting in my room getting emotional because I was looking back on everything. It's been a wild, wild, wild journey and I'm extremely grateful for it.”
As incredible as it may seem, Robustelli is technically in only his fourth season of tackle football — and we’re talking any level of tackle football. He essentially took 12 years off the the game after playing as a child, but thanks to his freakish athletic ability and time with the U.S. national flag football team, landed a spot at NCAA Division II Tusculum.
He was already on the Riders radar at that point, and after landing a spot on Saskatchewan’s practice roster in 2024, put together a breakout year with 38 catches for 544 yards last season.
That led to Robustelli signing with the Edmonton Elks in the off-season, and while injuries limited him to only six games, he’ll be in action Sunday against the Montreal Alouettes.
Not bad for a guy who only a couple years ago was wondering if he even belonged on a CFL field.
“When I got to Saskatchewan, I still definitely kind of felt like a fraud a little bit,” Robustelli said. “I hadn't played a lot of football, but I had a lot of great leadership. They took me under their wing and showed me what it's like to be a pro. And it didn't happen overnight.”
The more time Robustelli spent around the team, the more his confidence grew, and now he looks forward to being that kind of leader for another up-and-coming rookie.
“I feel like now I know what I'm talking about, I know what I'm doing,” he said. “So I want to be somebody that can be that type of person for somebody else. You can be a great athlete, but your character goes a long way. And like (Elks G.M.) Ed (Hervey) said, he wants to bring in the right guys. I'm happy that they saw that in me and just grateful and fortunate that they trust in me and allow me to go out there and play ball for them.”
In addition to shouting out the likes of quarterback Trevor Harris, receivers KeeSean Johnson and Sam Emilus and the Riders’ main coaches for his quick progress, Robustelli also specifically sent thanks to receivers coach Marquay McDaniel and his Edmonton counterpart Jason Tucker for their time and effort molding him into a pro player.
“Having those two guys be my coaches, they're both elite receivers that played in this league, just being a sponge,” Robustelli said. “It’s been great, I've learned a tremendous amount from both of them.”
As a Grey Cup champion, Robustelli also brings valuable winning experience into the locker room, and he’s done what he can to help prepare his teammates for what’s ahead during Grey Cup Week.
“Just letting them know you don't have to make it bigger than what it is,” he said. “There's a lot of distractions and stuff like that, but continue to prepare the same way you're going to prepare. Obviously the stakes are bigger, but once you're on the football field and all that noise is gone and you're within the lines and the whistle's blown, you're just playing ball. So just go out there and do the things that have gotten you here and everything will take care of itself.”
The 113th Grey Cup is set for Sunday at 5 p.m. and be sure to check back for plenty more on the SportsCage in the lead up to the championship game.
