Riders sign Mario Alford to contract extension

CFL.ca Staff

The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced on Tuesday that the team has signed American receiver and dynamic returner Mario Alford to a contract extension.

Alford joined the Roughriders in Week 5 after being traded to Saskatchewan from the Montreal Alouettes and made an immediate impact with the team. In just his second game in Green and White, Alford returned a missed field goal 112-yards for a touchdown.

Throughout the season, Alford would go on to tally a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown in Week 10 and a 92-yard kickoff return touchdown in Week 14, and his league-leading fourth return touchdown in Week 20 on a 104-yard punt return.

In his 13 games with Saskatchewan this season, Alford returned 44 punts for 530 yards, 38 kickoff returns for 990 yards and three missed field goals for 129 yards.

Highlighting an immaculate season, Alford became just the fifth player in CFL history and first Rider to record a punt return touchdown, kick return touchdown and missed field goal return touchdown in a single season. The Rider newcomer also broke the Saskatchewan franchise record for most return touchdowns by an individual in a single season.

For his efforts this season, Alford would be named the Roughriders’ and West Division’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player and has a chance to be named the league’s Most Outstanding Special Teams player at the CFL Awards on Thursday night.

Before his trade to Saskatchewan, Alford spent two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes and played nine games with the team. Alford returned 26 punts for 486 yards and three touchdowns and added nine kick returns for 477 yards.

Prior to his time with Montreal, Alford played six games for the Toronto Argonauts, making seven catches for 57 yards and earning 170 yards off eight kickoff returns.

Alford was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He went on to play one game for the Bengals as a rookie, before moving on to spend time with the New York Jets, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. Alford played in three games as a returner for the Browns, returning eight punts for 68 yards and eight kickoffs for 258 yards.

Collegiately, the Georgia native played two seasons at West Virginia from 2013 to 2014, suiting up for 22 games as a Mountaineer. He caught 92 career passes for 1,497 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns. He also returned 37 kickoffs for 972 yards and two touchdowns.

In 2014, he led the NCAA in return touchdowns with two and he led the Big-12 in receiving touchdowns with 11. Prior to attending West Virginia, Alford was a running back with the Georgia Military College Bulldogs from 2011 to 2012 and in his second season led the team with 541 yards rushing and six touchdowns.

Follow CFL