Saskatchewan Roughriders punter Oscar Chapman is no stranger to laying huge hits on the opposition if the opportunity presents itself.
A former player in the South Australian National Football League, Chapman spent many a game laying the boom on the opposition in the well-known hard-hitting sport of Aussie Rules Football.
So when Jarion Grant of the Toronto Argonauts found some running room midway through the first half last Saturday night and broke one of his longest punt returns of the game, well, Chapman made sure he paid for it.
We can’t stop watching this 🤯🤯🤯 https://t.co/bgAG5jhgdZ
— CFL (@CFL) August 30, 2026
The huge hit became a bit of a thing in the aftermath of Saskatchewan’s 28-24 win, even making the rounds back home in Australia.
“All my friends and family back home have sent me it, so every time they send it to me, I watch it again,” Chapman said. “Obviously, any time that you see the returner getting some yards on you, you get a little bit annoyed. So, seeing him kind of streaming down, yeah, it was a little bit of frustration coming out.”
That play was just one impact Chapman had on the contest, as his punt placement helped the special teams keep a lid on Grant and the Winnipeg return game. Then came the fourth quarter, when Chapman’s hard count drew Toronto offside on a field goal attempt and gave Tommy Stevens the opportunity to score what would stand as the game-winning touchdown.
“We just did what we do every week and went out there and executed, which was good,” Chapman said. “And it was good to see Tommy go score one.”
Long snapper Mike Benson was naturally a key part of Chapman’s success and pointed out that having the special teams playing well can make a difference in a close game like Saturday.
“That's a magical thing about the Canadian Football League, special teams is truly 33% of the game,” Benson said. “If you're on special teams and your offense happens to be lacking, you can pick it up on specials and defence and everybody works together. But if you hit all three facets, those momentum plays, dominating field position, especially in games like this, it's going to be pivotal.”
And seeing a player in a position that normally avoids contact directly seek out a massive hit certainly doesn’t hurt when it comes to getting everyone fired up.
“Obviously, when your punter runs down and lays a hit on one of the best returners in the league, yeah, that's going to jack the boys up,” Benson said. “So you can expect to see a lot of good hits like that this week for sure to get some momentum turning.”
That leads into Sunday’s Labour Day Classic contest, with the Riders taking on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday night at Mosaic Stadium.
It’ll be the first Classic for Chapman, and as one might expect, he’s looking forward to the contest.
“I just know it's going to be packed out,” he said. “It's going to be a physical game and it's going to be a lot of fun.”
A 14-year veteran of the CFL wars, Benson has played in many a Classic in Regina, including the four of the last five seasons with the Bombers. He admits the game is a special one, to the point that even staying on an even keel can be difficult.
“It feels like a Western or Eastern Final game, that kind of playoff energy, and the biggest thing that you have to manage is your emotions,” Benson said. “You can't let anything kind of get ahead of you. You just have to be very mentally sound. You have to be disciplined.
Use that excitement to fuel your energy on the field, for sure, but keep it contained.’
The Rider Broadcast Network will have all the action on Sunday, with the pregame show with Teagan Witko and Wes Cates beginning at 2 p.m., after which Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder will have the game call at 5 p.m.
