Riders set to induct Bagg, McCallum and Clark into Plaza of Honour on Saturday

Hard work is a common thread for kicker Paul McCallum, wide receiver Rob Bagg and centre Dan Clark during their CFL careers.

Now the three of them will take their place among the top players in Saskatchewan Roughriders history. The three of them are the 2026 Plaza of Honour inductees and will be inducted during halftime of Saturday’s game against the Montreal Alouettes.

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“I feel like I don’t deserve to be up here, but it’s coming to light as I sit beside (Bagg), and I’m sitting beside Paul McCallum — this is a legend that I’ve had the opportunity to play with,” Clark said. “These are both legends. I’m excited to share the opportunity for my kids and my wife to be able to be a part of this. I’m excited for the honour and I am looking forward to the next couple of days.”

Clark took the rare path to the CFL through the Canadian Junior Football League and played for the Regina Thunder, including double duty for the two teams in 2009 and 2010. Clark, who is from Regina, was then with the Riders until 2022, including being a part of the 2013 Grey Cup team.

“You look at coming from a junior program; you’re not expected to make it here. It’s all about what you’re willing to do to make it here,” Clark said. “I didn’t set no standard. I didn’t do anything different than any legend that has been around here or any player. I just was able to work hard, be able to put myself in the best light, be able to take any opportunity and run with it. Looking out there and seeing those Thunder kids to be able to have that opportunity, it ain’t any different but what are you willing to do to keep your job.”

McCallum joined the Riders in 1994 and again in 1995. He went to play in NFL Europe with the Scottish Claymores after that season before re-joining the Riders in 1996. He then spent the next decade in Saskatchewan until he was released in 2005. He joined the B.C. Lions and remained there until 2014. In 2015, he had a reunion with Saskatchewan.

He is second in Roughriders history in points (1,615), field goals (368) and converts (408) and is first all-time in punts (1,116) and punting yardage (45,670).
McCallum played in 185 regular-season games as a Roughrider.

“I didn’t ever want to leave. As we all know some of the circumstances and people who made me leave. I’ve got more fond memories of it. I think when things changed for me in Vancouver and the opportunity to come back, I welcomed that. I was excited to come back and it’s because of the community. It’s because of the organization and everything around the football club itself,” McCallum said.

McCallum was a soccer player until he was 20 years old when he started playing junior football.

“I had no experience playing and the Lions brought me and a couple of other junior players out to practice,” McCallum said.

It was a conversation with a Lions’ player personnel employee that led to him putting in the work.

“He said to me, ‘You know, kid. You have a lot of ability but you need to put in a lot of work. I think you could do this,'” McCallum said. “I had given up on soccer — that was my thing as a kid — and was disappointed that it didn’t work out. I thought he must know what he is talking about so if he said to me, that’s what flipped the switch for me to put in the extra effort and work and that’s all I focused on.”

Bagg grew up playing hockey and he looks back at the failures he had in that sport that drove him to be great on the gridiron. He went to Queen’s University but went undrafted in the 2007 CFL Draft.

“I think every single one of those setbacks — whether it was getting cut, not playing at Queen’s or not getting recruited into the CFL and being drafted. Every time I was told no, the hard work factor just amped up again,” Bagg said. “The more people who tell you you can’t do something, the more you just feel energized and determined to prove them wrong.”

Bagg was the team’s Most Outstanding Canadian twice (2009, 2015) and played in 143 regular-season games with the Riders. He is sixth in team history in catches (364), 10th in receiving yards (4,706) and 13th in touchdown receptions (24).

Clark had one piece of advice for other young football players who have dreams of playing in the CFL.

“Be better than me. Dream bigger. Have that opportunity to know no matter where you are or in what environment, you can succeed in a high-paced, high-stress, high-anxiety environment like football. I wanted to be able to make sure that in this province, if a younger kid had that ability and mentality as I did, they could grow better and be able to succeed,” Clark said. “I just look over to my kids — I can’t look at them right now because I’m going to bawl — but I want to let them know that if you dream big enough, great things do come. From that, it’s all about your hard work and dedication.”

Kickoff for the game is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Green Zone pregame show begins at 11 a.m.