As a short-yardage quarterback, Tommy Stevens’ impact for the Saskatchewan Roughriders has been anything but. Now he has his name etched among some of the team’s all-time greats. In the fourth quarter of Saturday’s win over Edmonton, Stevens dove across the goal line from the one-yard line and into the endzone for a second time in the game – his 17th rushing touchdown of 2026, breaking two records at the same time. The first breaking the Canadian Football League’s record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. The other: setting the new mark for rushing touchdowns in Saskatchewan Roughriders franchise history – by any player – surpassing the previous mark set by the late great George Reed. “It’s really cool to be a part of,” Stevens told reporters Saturday night after Saskatchewan’s 16-9 victory. “I knew what was at stake and I knew it was a possibility. Maybe it was selfish, but I wanted to break it.” Reed’s greatness needs no introduction as one of the Roughriders’ greatest players ever. When a new stadium was erected a decade ago – so too was a statue of the four-time All-CFL running back, former league Most Outstanding Player and 1966 Grey Cup champion. In back-to-back seasons in 1967 and 1968, Reed rushed for 15 and 16 touchdowns, respectively. The 1968 mark held as the franchise’s single-season rushing touchdown record, until Saturday evening. “What George meant to the team, to this province – obviously I never had a chance to meet him – but the stories you hear; it is just surreal to have [my] name mentioned amongst people like George,” Stevens said. “I’m incredibly thankful.” The way Reed and Stevens made their marks on Saskatchewan are quite the contrast. In 1968, Reed rushed for 1,222 yards on close to 265 carries, scoring a touchdown once every 16 attempts. Then, they only played 16 games. Stevens, just 301 yards on 96 rushes – an average of only three yards per carry. He scored a touchdown once every five touches in 18 games. However, if you ask the 29-year-old quarterback about the accomplishment, he’ll humbly deflect the spotlight. “It’s going to be my name, but this is this is our [team’s] award,” Stevens said. “There’s so many things which go into me getting my opportunities to play.” Even the play which led to his record-breaking touchdown, Stevens needed a pass interference call in the endzone on a third down to get his shot. “I need [that] call,” he explained. “A lot of things go on. It’s not about me but I’m so thankful to have my role and to bring as much value as I can.” The Stevens mold While not a traditional quarterback under centre, Stevens brings plenty of value. In fact, he has attempted just one pass – a one-yard completion – in two seasons as a Roughrider, but still Stevens molded himself into a significant piece of the offence. “Anytime you have a role in professional football, it is extremely valuable,” he said. “And I feel like that’s rare.” Six times this season, Stevens has rushed for two-or-more touchdowns in a game. Saskatchewan has won all six. Going back one game further, the 2025 Grey Cup, Stevens there too had two touchdowns – again a Roughrider win. Head Coach Corey Mace will tell you though, his value far exceeds his production on the field. “I’ve never seen it before: people are chanting his name when he goes out there,” Mace described. “He’s out there and I can look at other things because I just have so much faith and trust in the guy and what he’s able to do for us.” Mace says that faith and trust bleeds into the locker room and give the rest of the team a different sense of confidence. “People sell him short,” he said with no pun intended. “Because [they] feel that’s the only thing he brings to this team. He brings so much to this locker room – it’s not just how he plays. Even the words he shares with his teammates, yeah, he brings a lot to this team.” Stevens has turned into somewhat of a folk hero since arriving in Saskatchewan, but it has not necessarily been the straightest of paths to this point. Starting at Penn State before transferring to Mississippi State, Stevens was a 7th round NFL Draft pick to New Orleans. Bouncing around to a few teams, there were attempts to convert him to a tight end. Then he found himself coming north to the CFL, signing with Calgary where he first took over the short-yardage quarterback role. He signed in Saskatchewan ahead of the 2025 season. Over his CFL career, Stevens has moved the chains 60 of 62 times on third-down sneaks (97 per cent) and 122 of 132 times on all QB sneak attempts (92.4 per cent). The new gold standard for short-yardage quarterbacks. “I’ve wanted to be a pro football player for as long as I can remember,” Stevens said. “I’m truly one of the fortunate ones. It’s a hard business to stick around in; I’ve seen a lot of people come and go who were probably more talented than me and just didn’t get the right shake.” “I’m super fortunate to have found a role suited for me and I can’t think of a better place to do it in the CFL than here [in Saskatchewan],” he added. Stevens’ 17 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback broke the previous mark set by Caleb Evans, also 16, set in 2022 when Evans was a member of the Ottawa RedBlacks.
