Oladipo ready to make most of first CFL start with Riders

Seyi Oladipo has always gone above and beyond to be as inclusive as possible.

It’s a trait he learned from his father, who made sure there was always a room available in case family members needed a place to stay.

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“Nigerian culture is all about hospitality and welcoming people to your house. I think for me, even from an early age, I have always been drawn towards being friendly and having friends and never making people feel they are less than and know that they are empowered,” the Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker said.

“It’s always been a thing for me to always bring people in and let them see how we live and how we can bring ourselves and others higher.

“I’ve always believed iron sharpens iron, but you are the average of the five people you spend your time with. I like to spend my time around people who want to get better. When people want to get better, it’s easier to bring them in,” Oladipo said.

That kind of personality led to him putting on quite the performance at Boise State with the football team. During one of their training camp events — the Bronco Olympics — the team is split into groups for team-building exercises.

One of those events involves singing the Broncos’ fight song in front of the entire team.

“It’s just about doing it in elaborate ways. I decided to go to the marching band and asked them to come and perform for us. They were super excited. Me and the Blue Thunder Band are still locked in today,” Oladipo said. “When I get to go back, I’m going to try to perform with them one of these times.”

After his time with the Boise State Broncos, Oladipo attended rookie minicamp with the Miami Dolphins in 2025. He signed a futures contract with the Riders that November.

He has appeared in three games this season in a special-teams role.

This week, as the Riders take on the Toronto Argonauts following back-to-back losses, Oladipo will make his first CFL start.

“It’d be a blessing to be able to go out there and showcase my talents, earn the trust of my brothers and ultimately get us a win,” Oladipo said.

Oladipo comes onto the roster in place of Antoine Brooks Jr., who has been moved to the reserve roster. Brooks Jr. has 57 tackles and a sack through 10 games this season.

“We just want to take a peek at some different things this week,” Riders head coach Corey Mace said when asked about the move.

Safety Jaxon Ford (ankle) was moved to the one-game injured list. Nelson Lokombo will start at safety, where he started in Week 1. James Burgess Jr. will make his first career CFL start at cornerback.

Wide receiver Johnny Johnson III (head) has been ruled out as Shemar Bridges makes his first start with the Riders. His signing was announced Tuesday.

Kickoff for the game is set for 5 p.m. The Green Zone pregame show begins at 3 p.m.