Riders’ Hughes ready to ‘drop the hammer’ on former Calgary teammates
REGINA — Charleston Hughes is good-naturedly seeing red as he prepares to oppose the Calgary Stampeders for the first time.
“They’d better strap up, because I’m going to be trying to drop the hammer on everybody, so I can laugh — so I can text them after the game and say, ‘Hey, I got you,’” the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ defensive end said Friday, a day before before facing his former team.
One of the former teammates that Hughes is hoping to “drop the hammer on” is quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who will figure prominently in tonight’s sold-out game at Mosaic Stadium.
“I’m looking forward to hitting him,” Hughes said. “I’m pretty sure it’s going to be tough to get to him, because he throws quick a lot. It’s going to feel great when I get the first one out of the way and ready for the second one.”
Hughes spent his first 10 CFL seasons with the Stampeders before an off-season trade that brought him to Saskatchewan.
The 34-year-old was dealt even though he led the league in quarterback sacks in each of the past two seasons. The four-time CFL all-star, who helped Calgary win Grey Cups in 2008 and 2014, is also setting the pace this season with six sacks through five games.
“The secret is that I’m like a snake,” Hughes said. “I don’t have no vertebrae, so I can bend and twist and manoeuvre through offensive linemen like it’s nothing.”
After doing that so successfully in Calgary for a decade, Hughes was asked how he would like the Stampeders to remember what he accomplished.
“I don’t necessarily care if they remember it or not,” he responded. “I think my performance speaks for itself and what I’ve done for that team speaks for itself.
“I’ve put up enough stats and put up enough years and earned enough respect throughout the league to know that I am the most elite defensive end in this league, and there’s a reason for that.”
That’s also a reason why the Roughriders acquired Hughes in early February. He was initially dealt to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who promptly flipped him over to Saskatchewan.
Chris Jones, the Roughriders’ head coach and general manager, was Calgary’s defensive co-ordinator early in Hughes’ CFL career.
Hughes has helped the Roughriders (3-2) win each of their past two games, both against the Tiger-Cats. Saskatchewan allowed only one offensive touchdown over that span. Tonight’s kickoff is 6 p.m. PT.