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The Saskatchewan Roughriders have announced who will be heading into the Plaza of Honour in 2025.
Offensive lineman Chris Best and long-time assistant coach Alex Smith Sr. are the two new inductees. Running back Steve Molnar was announced for the 2024 plaza and was set to go in posthumously but an illness in the family led to it being postponed.
Best said it is an incredible honour to receive the news.
“You always dream about that. I played with a bunch of guys who went into the plaza and I remember going to plaza dinners and what a big deal it was. This is incredible. I would go as far as to say this is a dream come true,” Best said.
He dressed for 114 games for the club but had to battle for the starting spot his first couple of seasons in Regina. He had zero starts in 2007 and then just six in 2008.
“It was a battle to start, but also was a heck of a time to learn from just some incredible players I played with,” Best said.
“I certainly would have loved to play more my first two years but I don’t know if I would have had the same success if I had immediately jumped out there without knowing what I was doing as much. A little seasoning may have helped me there.”
Best won two Grey Cups (2007, 2013) with the Riders. He helped protect quarterback Kerry Joseph, who was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player that season.
He was the Riders’ nominee for most outstanding offensive lineman in 2011.
In 2013, Best was the starting guard as the Riders claimed victory at Mosaic Stadium for the 2013 Grey Cup. In that game, Best and the Riders’ O-line helped running back Kory Sheets rush for a Grey Cup-record 197 yards.
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Smith Sr. is the longest-serving coach in team history, having worked for the team for 16 seasons (1997-2012).
“Very appreciative of it. For a Regina boy who grew up about four or five blocks from Taylor Field, this is a pretty big deal,” Smith Sr. said.
He coached with Roughriders in four Grey Cup Games (1997, 2007, 2009, 2010), winning the Grey Cup in 2007. During his time with the Roughriders, he coached special teams, running backs and linebackers.
For Smith Sr., he said the 2007 Grey Cup was a highlight for him.
“We had a pretty bad training camp — everybody got hurt — and we didn’t do much in the training camp but we had a great year,” Smith Sr. said. “It was a phenomenal group of guys and we fought our way into the Grey Cup and did a great job.”
He was the Roughriders’ special teams coach during both seasons (2002, 2005) Corey Holmes was named the league’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player.
He also had success coaching the Thom Trojans and University of Regina Rams.
Riders coach Alex Smith Sr. served as a full-time coach for 16 seasons in Saskatchewan – the most ever. (Saskatchewan Roughriders/Submitted)
Molnar played with Saskatchewan from 1969 to 1978, rushing for 2,549 yards and 20 touchdowns, while also catching passes for another 1,552 yards and two more touchdowns.
Born in Saskatoon, Molnar was the son of former Roughrider Steve Molnar Sr., who played for the team in 1943. The younger Molnar appeared in Grey Cup games in ‘69, ‘72, and ‘76.
Molnar replaced the retiring George Reed at fullback in 1976. Molnar proceeded to lead the Roughriders in regular-season rushing yards (822). He rushed for a career-best 144 yards to power Saskatchewan to a 23-13 victory over Edmonton in the 1976 Western Conference final at Taylor Field.
Best, Smith Sr. and Molnar will be formally enshrined into the Plaza of Honour during a special ceremony at halftime on Sept. 13 game against the Montreal Alouettes.
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