Saskatchewan Roughriders' receiver Samuel Emilus has put himself in a surreal moment by facing his hometown team, the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup.
"I grew up in Montreal, watching the Alouettes, and now I'm playing them in the Grey Cup. It's truly special," Emilus said after he arrived in Winnipeg. "The fact that it's my first Grey Cup, also my first experience, and it's got to be against this team, it's only going to make the experience even better. I'm excited for the opportunity, and we're going to make the most out of it."
The 112th Grey Cup match-up between Montreal and Saskatchewan came together after the Riders defeated the B.C. Lions 24-21 in the West Final. In the East Final, the Alouettes beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 19-16. It will be the third time the Riders and Alouettes meet in the Grey Cup. The franchises faced each other back-to-back in 2009 and 2010, with Montreal winning both times, 28-27 and 21-18 respectively.
"I remember [Montreal] losing in the fourth quarter, they made an incredible comeback, and that's what happened. Guys like [Anthony] Calvillo made the comeback happen, and my favourite receiver, S.J. Green, Jamel Richardson, a bunch of guys that I still remember to this day. I was home at my mom's watching the game with my brothers," Emilus recalled.
"In 2009, I was 12 years old. I was young, but I was rooting for the Alouettes because that was my hometown team. But like I told Rob [Vanstone], that's what's going to make the event even more special because I'm going against them this year."
During the 2009 Grey Cup, the Riders had the chance to win the game when Damon Duval missed a 43-yard field goal. Everyone thought the game was over, but the Riders were flagged for a 10-yard penalty due to too many men being on the field. That gave Duval another shot and he won the game for Montreal 28-27.
During the 2025 regular season, Emilus started seven games for the Green and White, catching 37 passes for 588 yards and two touchdowns. Winnipeg is hosting the Grey Cup this year, and he explained what it means for Saskatchewan.
"If you count the rivalry we've got with Winnipeg, it makes the event even more special," Emilus said. "They don't like us, we don't like them. We have a chance to finish the job on their home turf, and that's what we want to do."
The 112th Grey Cup goes on Sunday between the Riders and the Alouettes at 5 p.m. Make sure to catch the 620 CKRM Rider Broadcast Network pre-game show at 2 p.m., featuring Dave Thomas, Luc Mullinder, Teagan Witko, Justin Dunk, and Wes Cates.
