Sarah Mills: We came so close to the zipper merge
Three block of two lanes of traffic merging one by one, with everyone inching forward. It was the zipper merge in action...
Move over A.J. Ouellette, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have some competition when it comes to the nickname of “Thor.”
While Thor Griffith doesn’t have the same flowing locks as the star Roughriders running back, he’s hoping his punishing play on the defensive line will mean he can also wield the “hammer of the gods” this season.
Read more:
- Daily walks to Rider rookie camp helping Saskatoon fan heal after brain injury
- Canadian receiving prospects push for spots on opening day of Riders rookie camp
- Roughrider Foundation giving $5 million back to Saskatchewan communities
“Hopefully we can share the hammer one day,” Griffith said.
Griffith is ironically back on the football field at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon, as he has resumed his football career after being waved by the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks last summer.
“It’s been great just adjusting to all the different rules, the play styles and everything,” Griffith said. “It’s great to get back on the field and to start hitting some bodies.”
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 305 pounds, Griffith has been noticeable through the three days of rookie camp, according to Roughriders head coach Corey Mace, with even more expected next week when full contact practices begin at main training camp.
“His specialty is when those pads come on,” Mace said.
“These last few days, we’ve been challenging him to still be physical in a run game. We know he is, but also to work edges in the pass rush which is not necessarily his forte.”
On his journey to Saskatoon, Griffith has assembled a resume which puts him in the conversation for the most interesting man in football.
A state champion in wrestling in high school, the 24-year-old had been originally recruited to attend Brown University on a wrestling scholarship.
He decided to turn that down, however, as Harvard University came knocking with former head coach Tim Murphy seeing potential in his football and wrestling tape.
“I sent him film and wrestling stuff and he loved it,” Griffith said. “That’s part of the reason how I got recruited to Harvard.”
Griffith spent three seasons with the Crimson between 2021 and 2023, with his final season of NCAA football coming in 2024 at the University of Louisville.
That time spent at one of the most prestigious universities in the world however, still has left an impact on how he approaches the game.
“It’s something I take a lot of pride in,” Griffith said.
“The amount of tradition, the amount of work it takes to be a part of the ‘Ten Thousand Men of Harvard’ is just something that you have that stays with you for your whole life.”
Griffith graduated from Harvard with a major in economics, but the linguistic arts also caught his eye over his time in Cambridge, Mass.
He also graduated with a secondary major in Celtic languages after a chance encounter with his group of friends.
“We were looking for a fourth class to fill up our schedule one spring and it was taught by the legendary professor (Gregory) Nagy,” Griffith said.
“We’re like, ‘Hey this looks fun.’ We took it and had a blast.”
The New Hampshire athlete didn’t fall in love with football right away however, as the primary sport of his childhood came on a frozen pond.
Ironic, considering the country he’s now chasing his football dreams in.
“I started off playing hockey, did that since I was four up until I would say about 14 (years old),” said Griffith.
“I always played hockey, love the sport. I guess I fell out of love with it and wanted to try something else. I picked up football and that just took over my life.”
Griffith’s hockey exploits saw him suit up in the famous Brick Invitational tournament in Edmonton twice, playing with the Boston Junior Bruins in 2011 and 2012.
On his Bruins team were a slew of future NHL players including Matt Boldy, Matty Beniers, Collin Graf and Ian Moore.
“It’s really cool just to see the guys I grew up playing with and against seeing their accomplishments,” Griffith said.
Mace is among those happy Griffith made the move from the ice to the turf, as the defensive lineman now pushes for a spot on Saskatchewan’s 2026 roster out of camp.
Through three days of competition, Mace has been pleased with the raw talent being shown out of the former All-Ivy League standout.
“He’s shown to be much better than we anticipated, to be honest,” Mace said. “It’s really good to add some tools to his tool belt.”
Set to advance to main camp on Sunday, Griffith will not only be greeted by the other defensive linemen who he’s shared the field with over rookie camp but a group of CFL veterans aiming to hold onto their jobs.
“We’re not worried about who’s going to be taking what job at the moment,” Griffith said.
“Obviously once camp starts and the vets come in, that’s something that’s going to happen. At the moment, I think we’re just working together and making sure we all know what we’re doing.”
The Riders have practiced with limited contact through rookie camp, which Mace doesn’t think plays to Griffith’s strengths.
When that first practice with full pads inevitably arrives though, he’s expecting big things out of the multi-sport bruiser.
“When the pads come on I think everybody will get to know the real Thor,” Mace said. “We’ll see who gets to walk away with the name between him and A.J. (Ouellette).”
Rookie camp notes
Mace put special teams in the limelight on the final day of rookie camp, stopping practice midway through to invite players to midfield for a competition between kickers Michael Hughes and Jonathan Kim.
The “kick-off” lasted nearly 10 minutes and saw Hughes and Kim trading kicks at different distances, with the rest of the players split into two teams on the sidelines watching the kicks.
“We try to put the spotlight on some guys throughout camp,” Mace said. “It’s good, healthy competition. They went back and forth, we had a two-for-one with extended, overtime kicks.”
The Riders did see a special guest attend Friday’s final day of rookie camp, with recently retired long snapper Jorgen Hus spending the day alongside Saskatchewan’s special teams unit.
Three players in wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland and defensive linemen Marcus Haynes and Kendy Charles did not have helmets on and were limited in practice, though Mace said all three were dealing with soft tissue issues and are expected to be ready for main camp.
As for injured Riders defensive lineman Benoit Marion and running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon, they’ve both been placed on the veteran injured list and won’t be ready for the start of training camp.
Mace said the pair, along with newly signed linebacker Ryder Varga, could hit the field in training camp depending on their recovery.
Main training camp kicks off at Griffiths Stadium on Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
Read more:
