Roughriders re-sign returner Mario Alford

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On Wednesday afternoon, the CFL club announced the re-signing of returner/receiver Mario Alford to a contract extension. Alford was set to become a free agent on Feb. 11.

Since being acquired by the Roughriders in 2022 from the Montreal Alouettes, the 5-foot-8, 180-pound speedster has served as Saskatchewan’s primary returner on kickoffs, punts and missed field goals.

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In his first year with Saskatchewan following the trade in Week 5, Alford went on to be named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2022 as he became just the fifth place in CFL history and first Roughrider to return a kickoff, a punt and a missed field goal for a touchdown in a single season.

Alford followed that up with another banner year in 2023 as he was named a West Division all-star with three punt return touchdowns, which is tied for most all-time in Roughrider history.

Last season, the 33-year-old racked up 2,071 all-purpose yards, which ranked fourth in the league, while also taking a kickoff back for a touchdown in Week 9 against Edmonton. For the first time since his rookie CFL season in 2018, he didn’t record a punt return touchdown.

In his career with the Green and White, he holds the all-time record for most return touchdowns with eight.

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