Saskatoon native Riley Pickett takes pride in being able to play multiple positions for the B.C. Lions.
He started out his professional career as a defensive lineman but has since made the switch to offence as a fullback while also becoming the team's long snapper along with other special teams duties.
"You go out there and do what's asked of you by your team -- if they need me to do this, I'll do that. The fact that they believed in me enough to keep me on the roster and believe in me to learn these other positions, go out there and play at a professional level is remarkable. I was thrilled to be able to have that opportunity and be thrust into that role," Pickett told Justin Dunk on the Rider Broadcast Network.
"I started the last three games at fullback last year and was the short snapper all year and played on all the special teams as well, which in itself, special teams is a grind. You have about 25 plays a game doing that, it's pretty physical and fast out there. I have to calm down, go snap, do that, and play fullback. It's pretty crazy but honestly, I'd have it no other way."
The 27-year-old Pickett sought out long snapping help from a longtime Saskatchewan Roughrider.
"I sent Jorgen Hus, the longest-tenured player, [a message] and I said: 'Hey man, would it be okay if I joined you for your snapping sessions?' He said: 'Yep, I start at 6 a.m. Be there. Be square,'" Picket recalled.
"Not going to lie, it's a little bit intimidating at the start working with him, but he and I have a great friendship -- it blossomed. He taught me the ropes; I spent my second year as the full-time snapper, which was pretty crazy. We'd show up there at 6 a.m., snap for a good hour, hour-and-a-half and then the pro group workout session with all the other pro guys in Saskatoon, there's about 10 of us, would commence with Joel Lipinski. It was great vibes all the way around."
The Lions took the six-foot-three, 250-pound defensive lineman in the fifth round, 41st overall during the 2022 CFL Draft. While Pickett was with the Saskatoon Hilltops from 2015 to 2017, he won three consecutive CJFL national championships. After his junior career with the Hilltops, he spent three years with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies from 2018 to 2021. He helped the Huskies win two Hardy Cups in 2018 and 2021 along with one Uteck Bowl in 2021 and also received the Defensive Player of the Game award.
Last year with the Lions, Pickett suited up for 18 regular season games, during which he recorded one defensive tackle and 11 special teams tackles. This season, he's suited up for five games with B.C. and accumulated four special team tackles. He eats, sleeps and breathes football and has high expectations for his three-down league career.
"I want to play in the CFL for as long as my body lets me. I like to be a biohacker, do everything I can to gain a competitive advantage and edge on my opponents and recover as well as I can each day," Pickett detailed.
"If that's my sleeping schedule, my at-home mobility routine, what I eat, going early, doing my prehab before practice, practicing as hard as I can, doing those mental reps as well, doing workouts after practice -- all while you're eating good food, drinking lots of water. If I could play for a decade, that would be a true blessing."
