Michael P. Hall/CFL.ca
CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders have signed Canadian receiver Richie Sindani to a contract extension, the team announced on Friday. He had been eligible to become a free agent on Tuesday.
Calgary’s eighth-round selection in the 2017 Canadian Football League draft, Sindani has played 47 regular-season games over three seasons with the Red and White.
“Richie has worked very hard since his arrival in Calgary and has made steady progress throughout his career and will go into training camp with an opportunity to earn a starting role,” said Stampeders president and general manager John Hufnagel. “We look forward to seeing him take the next step in his career in 2022.”
“Huff found me in 2017, believed in me through my ups and downs,” said Sindani, who was a member of the Stamps’ 2018 Grey Cup-championship squad. “Today, I have an opportunity to become even more of an impact this season. This journey has been one I’ve been committed to through the ups and downs because having a ring and celebrating with the fans of Calgary means the world to me.”
2022 FREE AGENCY
» Imagining potential free agency fits
» O’Leary: O’Day ready to steer Riders through FA
» CFL.ca’s Top 30 Pending Free Agents
» FA Most Wanted: A range of quarterbacks
Sindani played all 14 regular-season games in 2021 – including one start – and he made 26 catches for 262 yards and two touchdowns. He also was a starter for the Western Semi-Final. Sindani’s first career touchdown came in a Week 7 contest at Hamilton and he had a career-best six catches for 60 yards in Week 11 at BC.
In 47 career games, the former University of Calgary Dinos and Calgary Colts alumnus has 66 catches for 731 yards.
In other transactions, the Stamps have signed American defensive lineman Jeremiah Valoaga and American defensive back Darius Williams.
Valoaga signed with the National Football League’s Detroit Lions in 2017. In 13 career NFL games – seven with the Lions in 2017 and four with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019 – he has six tackles, one sack and one pass defended. Valoaga signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 and attended training camp with the New York Jets in 2021.
Vaoloaga played 39 games and made 12 starts over four seasons at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Over the course of his career with the Rebels, he recorded 87 total tackles including 19 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and seven passed defended.
Williams originally signed with the Stampeders on Feb. 13, 2020. He was released on Feb. 8, 2021, and went on to play for the Sea Lions in The Spring League. Prior to first signing with Calgary, Williams signed with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.
In college, Williams played 50 games over four seasons at Colorado State-Pueblo. He was a first-team Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference all-star in each of his four seasons and finished his ThunderWolves career tied for second in school history with 17 interceptions. He returned six of those interceptions for touchdowns and had at least one pick-six in each of his four seasons at CSU-Pueblo. Williams recorded a total of 179 tackles including 17.5 tackles for loss and also had five sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries including one returned for a touchdown and 42 pass breakups.
