Tag Archives: saskatchewan roughriders

CFL

Ridgway, Dave “Robokicker”

Card: All-World 1991
Acquired: TTM 1994, C/o The CFL

Small note about the Canadian Football League. Unlike the NFL, kickers roles are actually enhanced in the CFL with the aid of the ‘rouge’. If a kicker launches the ball and it goes out of the back of the endzone, but does not score a field goal, his team still receives a single point.

Drafted in 1981 by the Montreal Alouettes, Dave Ridgway’s career would be off to a bad start as he’d be unable to make the squad that season. Contacted in 1982 by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, he’d go on to become one of the most storied kickers of the CFL’s history. Ridgway would kick the game winning field goal in Saskatchewan’s exciting Grey Cup victory in 1989, and is the most accurate kicker in league history, knocking down 59 field goals in 1987, and 8 field goals in a game which are both league records as well. He’d retire in 1994, virtually in control of nearly all league kicking records.

A 6 time CFL All Star, Dave rightfully so has received numerous accolades since his retirement. His number (36) was retired by the Roughriders and he was inducted into the team’s Plaza of Honor in 2000. In 2003, Ridgway was also named to the CFL HoF, and won the MVP honor for his clutch field goal in the 1989 Grey Cup.

Dave’s name is spelled ‘Ridgway’, and he was nicknamed ‘Robokicker’ by his teammates for his ability to automatically hit field goals and the coincidence that the movie “RoboCop” had been released that year. Below is a link to the 1989 Grey Cup field goal and his final limited statistics, since the CFL does a horrid job of keeping them.

fga N/a    fgm N/a   pct .780  pts 2374

CFL

Aldag, Roger

Card: All World 1991
Acquired: C/o The CFL 1992

Roger played football in 3 decades (1976-1992) for the Saskatchewan Roughriders setting the team record playing in 271 games on the offensive line primarily as a guard. An immensely popular player during his time in the CFL, Aldag was a local product from Gull Lake, SK, and was named a Western All Star 8 times.  He retired before the 1993 season and is considered one of the leagues most outstanding players and solid lineman to play the sport. Roger’s fondest memory is winning the Grey Cup with the Roughriders in 1989.

A road grader, he won the CFL’s Offensive Lineman of the year award twice, was inducted into the Roughrider Plaza of Honor in 1993, he had his number retired and was inducted into the CFL HoF in 2002. Aldag was also named #32 on the CFL’s top 50 players list.

Currently Roger works for Trans Gas/Sask Energy in Regina as head of the Land Services division, is a proud season ticket holder of the Roughriders and is a rabid football fan, taking in college, and high school games when he can.

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Archer, David

Cards: Proset 1991, Wild Card WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2010, C/o Home.
Sent: 7/30  Received: 8/27    (28 days)

David Archer was signed as a free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1984, where he’d be the back up quarterback and starter in 1985 and 1986 until Chris Miller arrived in 1987. He’d then bounce around the NFL as the backup quarterback for the Redskins in 1988 and Chargers in 1989. He’d be cut and out of football in 1990, but was be picked up by the Eagles in 1991. It was at this point that the WLAF intervened and David Archer would have his moment in the sun when he went to play for the Sacramento Surge franchise in 1992. The Surge needed a veteran presence and a makeover to turn the franchise around from its dismal 3-7 showing of 1991 and Archer fit that bill to the T. Archer virtually went on to rewrite all the Surge records, and lead the team to World Bowl II, earning MVP honors passing 22 of 36 and 286 yards with 2 TDs as the team rallied to score 15 points in the fourth quarter. David also grabbed the single season passer rating record at 107 with a whopping 9.35 yards per completion and 29 touchdowns. Archer and the Surge were the Riders‘ nemesis in 1992, and when these two teams met it was usually a torrid match. He would lead the team in a comeback victory over the Riders in the final WLAF game at Bobcat stadium in 1992 after being snubbed in Sacramento in OT by the Riders earlier in the season.

After the folding of the WLAF, Archer played with the Eagles an additional season in 1992, and then jumped ship to the CFL USA with the Sacramento Gold Miners in 1993 and 1994, and then the Texans in 1995. He’d then play a single season for the Ottawa Rough Riders, before that franchise was disbursed in 1996. (Quite possibly there is some sort of morose record there for the most number of franchises played for that folded, as Archer had the ‘touch of death’ for 4 franchises over a 5 year period.) He’d take a season off in 1997 uninterested in playing for Saskatchewan, and then play one final season in 1998 for the Edmonton Eskimos.

Archer has since gone on to become a color commentator for the Falcons, SEC football and currently ACC football. I thought at some point I had gotten his autograph but I was completely mistaken. He signed these two cards in about a month.

WLAF
Att 317   Comp 194   Pct 61.4   Yds 2964
Td 23    Int 7   Rat 107.0   Lg 80t