Superstitions at play: Saskatchewan Roughriders share their gameday rituals

Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Mace isn’t above a little superstition if it gives him an edge on the field. “If the game ended good, I might probably wear the same thing,” he said. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

Starting the day right

Gameday starts early for the Riders, and usually, it starts with breakfast.

For head coach Corey Mace, that first meal is part of the rhythm of the day.

“Something with syrup,” he said. “Whether it’s French toast or pancakes, I need a little bit of sweet and I need a little bit of savoury. Always got to hit that, and it makes me walk away happy, feeling good to start the day.”

Quarterback Trevor Harris takes a similar approach, though his method is a bit more extreme: a big breakfast, and then absolutely nothing else until after the game.

“I don’t like anything in my stomach,” he explained.

Linebacker A.J. Allen goes for a lighter meal if he’s cooking for himself — eggs and a sandwich — but has one clear reward system in place: “If we win, quesadillas,” he said with a grin.

Linebacker A.J. Allen plays chess before hitting the field, and after a big game he has a go-to celebratory meal. “If we win, quesadillas. I love quesadillas!” (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

The calm before the snap

Harris doesn’t think of himself as superstitious. In fact, he quotes The Office to describe his approach: “I wouldn’t say I’m superstitious, maybe a little ‘stitious.”

But that “little ‘stitious” comes with some pretty consistent rituals, like arriving at the stadium early, walking the field, and then FaceTiming his parents. Every game. Without fail.

“It’s one of those things that will make me teary eyed when I’m done,” he said. “Just kind of show the stadium and say, ‘Remember when I was a little boy in the stands? And here we are, getting to be the person on the field today.’”

Quarterback Trevor Harris admits he’s “a little ’stitious” — but he’s learning to leave superstition behind. “My mental performance coach talked me out of that. She’s like, ‘So if you turn right at Main Street, that means you’re going to win the game? What’s going to win the game for you is your preparation.’” (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

Allen said he finds his own kind of calm in the hours before kickoff.

“I love playing chess before games,” he said. “It gets your mind thinking, you know, playing chess, not checkers, during the game.”

Dressed for success

There are a handful of Riders who aren’t ashamed to admit they find comfort in superstitions.

Running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon is one of the few Riders who plainly admits to being superstitious. “I’ve been like this since I was six or seven,” he laughed. “You can ask my mom.” (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

“If I have a good game, I’m going to eat exactly the same meal. I’m going to do the exact same routine. I’m going to wear the exact same thing at the game,” said running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon.

“Socks first, tights, shirt, shorts, and then I go and warm up, do my whole thing. After that, I put my cleats first, my pants second, and my shoulder pads after.”

Yes, that’s pants after cleats. And no, he’s not about to change it.

“I’ve been like this since I was six or seven,” he laughed. “You can ask my mom.”

Bertrand-Hudon’s pre-game superstitions run deep. He even puts his cleats on before his pants. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

Not every player’s routine gets that specific, but the idea of consistency breeding confidence runs deep.

Punter Bailey Flint has been trying to break free from overly rigid habits.

“You get so caught up in, like, this has to be this way,” he said. “But then what happens that one time the bus is late? You have to figure it out, right? Because the show goes on.”

Punter Bailey Flint, an Australian, said he has been trying to break free of his superstitious tendencies. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

At one point, even the order he put his cleats on felt make-or-break.

“If I didn’t put my left shoe on first, I was just not going to be able to kick over a jam tin!” he said.

“In a couple of games in the past, I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m gonna put my right cleat on first, and I’m just gonna see what happens.’ And then I realized, ‘Oh, wait, I’m OK. I’m gonna survive this.’”

His line in the superstition sand?

“I’ve never been one of those, like, same pair of underpants cats,” he joked. “You play 10 years in a league and you got the same pair on every time? There’d be some holes in those bad boys.”

Kicker Brett Lauther echoed that sentiment. He said he steers clear of anything that might mess with his head if it can’t be perfectly repeated.

“I want to be someone that, whatever is going on, you’re able to adapt,” he said. “So I don’t have anything like, ‘If I don’t have the right cleats, I can’t kick right.’”

Brett Lauther says he isn’t superstitious, but he does make an effort to connect with his family before and after each game. “My dad will always give me a call,” the kicker said with a smile. “Every time.” (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

Gameday gear

Sometimes, superstition isn’t in the locker room — it’s in the stands.

“My wife last year was like, ‘Well, I wore this shirt last week and we lost, so I wore this one this week and we won,’” Harris recalled.

“I was like, ‘Kalie, as much as I appreciate this, I don’t think the shirt you’re wearing is going to affect my decision making on the field.’”

But the quarterback said he gets it.

Quarterback Trevor Harris doesn’t begrudge fans for leaning into their unique gameday traditions. “If it helps, it helps,” he said with a grin. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

“I know certain fans say ‘This is my lucky hat. Ever since I wore this hat…’ I say, well, hey — keep wearing the hat. If it helps, it helps.”

Because even if players aren’t openly knocking on wood or dodging ladders (OK — Bailey Flint does do that), they know there’s power in tradition. Power in repetition. Power in doing things your way — even if it’s not exactly logical.

Kicker Brett Lauther makes a point not to get wrapped up in superstitions. Instead, he said he focuses on things he can control like eating well and getting rest ahead of a big game. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

So… Are they superstitious?

Not officially.

There are no rabbit’s feet hanging in lockers. No one’s stashing four-leaf clovers under their shoulder pads. But gameday is a performance — mental, physical, emotional — and it makes sense that many Riders lean on rituals to stay focused.

Whether it’s syrup, socks or celebratory quesadillas, these little habits keep the Riders connected to their routines, their families and the game they love.

Maybe that’s the real magic.

For the Saskatchewan Roughriders, it’s not just about talent on the field — it’s the rituals, routines and little superstitions that help keep the team focused and connected to the game they love. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)