OFF-FIELD ISSUES
Riders face some tough questions
Domestic violence, not football, dominated discussions around the Saskatchewan Roughriders after a report Tuesday that the CFL had blocked the team from adding troubled defensive end Greg Hardy to its negotiation list.
The team also found itself defending its decision to add rookie defensive back Justin Cox to its active roster despite his history of domestic-violence-related legal issues.
Sportsnet’s Justin Dunk and Arash Madani first reported the story about Hardy’s interest in the Roughriders, saying the league blocked the Riders from adding Hardy to their negotiation list.
“Greg Hardy inquired to us back in camp and it was about a sixhour discussion,’’ head coach Chris Jones told reporters after Tuesday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium. “The league made their ruling on it and we’ve moved on.’’
Jones didn’t expand on his discussions with CFL officials regarding Hardy.
CFL spokesman Paulo Serna said “the decision whether to pursue a player rests with the organization and in this case, while the league did discuss the matter with the Riders, it was ultimately the organization’s decision to not place Hardy on the Riders’ negotiation list in May.’’
In 2014, Hardy — a former Pro Bowl defensive end in the NFL — was charged and then found guilty of assaulting ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder and communicating threats.
Hardy spent nearly all of the 2014 season on the Commissioner’s Exempt List while the pending criminal charges against him were adjudicated.
Holder then failed to appear in court to testify after Hardy appealed the decision. The charges were later dismissed, but Hardy was still suspended under the NFL’s domestic-violence policy.
He served his four-game suspension and spent most of the 2015 season with the Dallas Cowboys.
He was released by the Cowboys and recently worked out with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The CFL has a leaguewide domestic-violence policy that was instituted in 2015.
The policy applies to everyone who works for the CFL and includes mandatory training on violence against women and the issues surrounding it on an annual basis.
Sportsnet also reported that Cox has twice been charged with domestic violence.
On July 20, 2015, Cox was arrested for aggravated domestic violence, burglary of a residence and trespassing in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.
He was released by the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs the day after he was arrested.
In November of 2014, Cox was charged with burglary and aggravated domestic violence in a separate incident while attending Mississippi State.
The charges were dropped after Cox pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
Cox, who has nine defensive tackles, a special-teams tackle and an interception in four games with the Riders this season, didn’t elaborate when asked about the charges.
“I’m really here to talk about football,’’ Cox said, adding the charges were eventually dropped.
“The past is irrelevant right now. I’m just here to talk about football.’’
Jones said he investigated Cox’s background before signing the 23-year-old defensive back.
“I’ve known some people that have known Justin Cox since high school,’’ Jones said.
“I had a thorough investigation
I’m really here to talk about football. The past is irrelevant right now. I’m just here to talk about football.
done on his background. I know some of his junior college coaches and some of his college coaches as well.
“I was fully satisfied with things that we found.’’
Jones added that he has had a number of players on his teams who had issues before joining a CFL team.
“There are a lot of guys — even guys that you wouldn’t believe — who have things on their record,’’ Jones said.
“Quite honestly, you wouldn’t have a league if all the guys that had some type of past transgressions in high school or junior college or college ... you wouldn’t have a CFL.’’
Jones added that CFL teams have to do their part by investigating what took place in a player’s past.
“You have to do the best job that you can do,’’ Jones said.
“You’re not bringing a gang of thugs up here.
“At the same time, you have to look at every single thing, do your investigation and know the people that you’re calling and call more than one person to do your background.’’