Perseverance pays off for new Riders kicker
Brett Lauther kicked around until finally landing a job with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
A seventh-round selection by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 2013 CFL draft, Lauther dressed for four games that season before embarking on a journey that included tryouts and practice-roster stints with the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Eskimos. He also spent time on the Riders’ practice roster in 2015 and 2017.
“I kept believing in what I was doing, which wasn’t in the spotlight the last few years,” Lauther said before making his Riders onfield debut Friday against the visiting Argonauts. “I knew what I was doing was up to the level of what these guys were doing.”
Lauther signed with the Riders in March. He opened training camp as the only placekicker while Tyler Crapigna, the Riders’ primary placekicker, was on the injured list.
Crapigna returned for the final two weeks of training camp and appeared to have recovered from the injury. However, Riders head coach and general manager Chris Jones announced Sunday that Crapigna would be sidelined for the entire 2018 season because he requires surgery on his kicking leg.
Hence the opportunity for Lauther to land a full-time position with the Riders.
“I didn’t know during training camp that (Crapigna) was injured,” Lauther said. “I thought he was kicking really well in the camp as well. It was a little surprising that he was going to have surgery.”
Lauther, 27, was effective during the Riders’ two pre-season games. He connected on all five of his field-goal attempts, including a 55-yarder against the Edmonton Eskimos on May 27. Along the way, Lauther proved himself to the coaching staff.
“(The pre-season games) basically confirmed it,” Riders special teams co-ordinator Craig Dickenson said. “We chart everything in practice, but to see them translate that to the game is the goal. With circumstances being what they were with Tyler and his hip, we felt it was his job and he won it.”
Dickenson is prepared to deal with the growing pains as Lauther adjusts to being the Riders’ fulltime placekicker. Friday’s contest was to be Lauther’s first regularseason game since Oct. 14, 2013.
“He has been solid, but he knows it won’t be an easy road,’’ Dickenson said. “There are going to be games where he struggles and he’s going to miss some kicks. We’re committed to keeping him.”
That commitment makes up for everything Lauther went through while waiting for another chance in the CFL.
“I put in so much time in with early mornings and late nights when I was tired and I didn’t want to be there,” he said.
“You have to keep pushing yourself because if you want this work, you have to stay ready even during the season. It’s not like another position, because if you get a call you might have to be ready to go in right away.
“It was tough, but I had family, friends and everyone coming out to the field to help out on certain days. Sometimes I would be out there by myself, but I wouldn’t be here without any of them.”
Lauther, a Saint Mary’s Huskies grad who hails from Truro, N.S., worked in construction and as a bartender to support his kicking habit.
“(The employers) have been super supportive with time off when I needed to go somewhere or balancing out the schedule,” he said. “Coming from the Maritimes, people are awesome.”
Jones was impressed by Lauther’s work ethic when they worked him out in 2017.
“The thing that is the most impressive about him is how he gets his kicks up,” Jones said. “He has great rotation. We charted every single kick in training camp and he doesn’t overstride or try to kill the ball. He has really worked (hard) and I’m proud of him.”
Lauther had help from friends like Justin Medlock, who was a training partner during a couple of CFL off-seasons.
“Medlock was super-influential and supportive with me,” Lauther said. “I knew what I needed to do, but I needed lock-in to do it. It cost me some money, but you have to invest in yourself.”