Hus is set for his homecoming
Jorgen Hus officially has returned home.
After bouncing around NFL camps for the past two seasons, the 25-yearold Saskatoon product has joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The CFL team announced Thursday that it had signed the long-snapper.
“In Saskatchewan, it’s the dream of every guy who plays football to play for the Riders,” Hus said. “It’s a great opportunity, a great honour, and I just want to do my best and bring the Grey Cup here.”
He’ll begin his CFL career May 31, when the Roughriders open training camp in Saskatoon.
“How exciting is that you’re in your hometown playing for the pro team in your home province?” Hus said. “It’s going to be really cool.”
Hus played with the PFC’s Saskatoon Hilltops before joining the University of Regina Rams in 2010. After three seasons of Canada West football, he signed with the NFL’s St. Louis Rams in April of 2013.
Even after he was selected by the Edmonton Eskimos in the fourth round (31st overall) of the 2013 CFL draft, he decided to keep trying his luck in the NFL. Tryouts with the Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs followed, but Hus didn’t stick.
Although he hasn’t played in a meaningful game since 2010, he doesn’t regret exhausting his NFL possibilities instead of starting his CFL career.
“There are a lot of guys who deserve to be playing in the NFL, but it’s such a tough league to crack,” Hus said. “You need all the stars to line up perfectly. You need the front office, the coaches and the GM to like you.
“But I got an opportunity to try to do what a lot of guys can’t try to do, so I’m thankful for that. It definitely made me better.”
The Roughriders acquired Hus’s rights on May 11, sending receiver Cory Watson and a second-round selection in the 2016 draft to Edmonton in exchange for Hus and a third-round pick in the 2016 draft.
While the signing was only made official Thursday, it was evident that Hus was preparing to join Saskatchewan. He recently tweeted a picture of three CFL footballs — one emblazoned with the Roughriders’ name — with which he was set to practise.
After more than two years of snapping NFL footballs, he’s getting used to the CFL ball again.
“It’s a little bit of a transition,” said Hus, a 6-foot-1, 230-pounder. “It has more of an aggressive curve to it at the nose as opposed to the NFL ball, which has a more of a gradual curve. It’s a little easier to get a spiral with those (NFL) balls.
“It’s a bit of an adjustment, but nothing too crazy.”
Ironically, Hus won’t have to adjust to one of the CFL’s newly instituted specialteams rule changes.
According to the new rule, interior linemen on punts can’t leave the line of scrimmage until the ball is kicked. While most CFL special-teamers will have to get accustomed to that, Hus abided by that rule in the NFL.
“My experience down there with blocking and everything will serve me well as we make the transition to similar punt protection in the CFL,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll do well.”
■ The Roughriders have added four territorial junior players to their trainingcamp roster.
The list comprises two members of the Regina Thunder (receiver Preston Bews and offensive lineman Matt Halbgewachs) and two Hilltops (receiver Evan Turkington and defensive lineman Matt Kozun).
Bews practised with the Roughriders last season.