After 10 years with the Stamps, Hughes is ready to be a Rider

Charleston Hughes admitted it took some time to get used to the idea of switching teams.

The veteran CFL defensive lineman spent his entire career as a Calgary Stampeder but that all changed Feb. 2.

Calgary flipped the CFL sack leader to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats early Thursday but by the end of the day, he was a Roughrider instead.

“Only being (with Hamilton) for 30 seconds was a taste of reality like ‘all right I’m over that,’ so on to the next, now I’m in Sask.,” he laughed.

Hughes is entering his 11^th CFL season and has held the sack title in 2016 and 2017, something he points to when anyone suggests his age – he’s 34 – is an issue.

“For me to go out there and do something like that and go into a third season to lead it three years in a row, I find that half-man, half-amazing,” Hughes quipped.

“I still got a lot of years left to play and I’ve got a lot of improving left to do,” he continued. “I can improve just as much as anybody else.”

Many Saskatchewan fans are breathing a sigh of relief that Hughes is on the green side now, as a lot of his success has come at the expense of Roughrider quarterbacks over the years.

“I assume that’s probably the reason why they picked me up and came after me is because if you can’t stop him then bring him on,” he said.

Hughes also said he sees a lot of potential in this Roughrider team and has confidence that he is part of a team which will go the distance in 2018.

“Even though it’s not by choice I still ended up with a good team, a Grey Cup contending team and I still feel like we’re going to make it all the way.”

Hughes will be at the Rider store in the Northgate Mall to sign autographs and meet fans between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday evening.