Riders’ Antigha catches on as defensive end
Former receiver expected to be in lineup following Newsome’s departure Tuesday
Tobi Antigha’s conversion from receiver to a Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end had as much to do with good luck as good scouting.
Antigha was taking part in a free agent camp in December as a receiver and the Riders didn’t have any defensive linemen to rush their offensive line prospects. Chris Jones, the Riders’ head coach and general manager, then asked some of the receivers and defensive backs to fill in along the defensive line.
“I put (Antigha) on the defensive line and he was a natural,” Jones said. “We put him there just to see if he could grow into what we thought a defensive lineman could be.”
Antigha may have had the moves to play defensive end, but he didn’t have the size. Jones asked Antigha to add more weight to his six-foottwo frame.
Antigha then focused on gaining the 30 to 35 pounds he needed before joining the Riders in late April at their mini-camp in Vero Beach, Fla.
“The biggest thing was keeping my athleticism with the weight,” Antigha said. “When I originally put on some weight at the end, I was athletic but I wasn’t as fluid as I wanted to be. Then I really committed to playing defensive end. I made the conscious effort to keep all of my athleticism while still gaining strength and size and getting faster.”
The transition continued at the Riders’ main training camp in Saskatoon where Antigha bulked up to his current weight of 240 pounds.
“He’s about the perfect weight for a defensive end in this league,” Jones said. “He’s a dedicated kid who was the captain of his team in college and he’s just a high-character guy.”
Antigha is expected to be on the active roster Saturday when the Riders play host to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He dressed for the regular-season opener on June 22 against the Montreal Alouettes and recorded a defensive tackle and a special-teams tackle.
Antigha was scratched before Saturday ’s 43-40 double-overtime loss to the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Riders used a defensive end rotation of Willie Jefferson, A.C. Leonard and Jonathan Newsome. Newsome had an interception and a defensive tackle in his first regular-season action of 2017.
A difference of views with Jones contributed to the Riders releasing Newsome Tuesday. His release created an opportunity for Antigha’s return to the active roster.
“It’s a blessing,” said Antigha, who hails from Tampa. “I’ve just tried to do the little things right and work hard in practice. I tried not to take any repetition for granted. You do things like that and the opportunities will come your way.”
Leonard and Jefferson were both receivers in college before switching to defensive end. Jefferson was a wide receiver for his first year at Baylor University, but later moved to defensive end.
Leonard was a receiver at Tennessee State University and during the 2015 season with the B.C. Lions. Jones switched Leonard to defensive end in 2016. The move worked out as Leonard and defensive tackle Corvey Irvin tied for the Riders lead with five sacks each.
Antigha has drawn upon some of his experience as a receiver while adjusting to a new position.
“(Being a receiver) helps a little bit, especially with some of the things that we do on defence like dropping back into pass coverages,” Antigha said. “I understand the quarterback’s reads and where he is going with his progressions. I also understand some of the route concepts, so that helps.”
Antigha spent four seasons with the Presbyterian College Blue Hose as a receiver. He dressed for 29 games and had 117 receptions for 1,415 yards and seven touchdowns. Back then he dreamed of scoring a touchdown as a professional, but those dreams have changed since joining the Riders.
“My goal every week is to get (a sack) on the board,” the 24-yearold said.
It sounds like Jones appreciates what Antigha adds to the Riders when he’s on the active roster.
“He’s one of those guys where the ball seems to find him,” Jones said. “Whether it’s a fumble on the ground or a tipped ball, it just seems to find him. He’s very athletic and very efficient with his body movements and he never seems to get tired.”