Dohnte Meyers becoming reliable target for Roughriders, crossing 1,000 yards receiving in second CFL season

Riders’ receiver Dohnte Meyers has broken out in his sophomore season, turning 349 yards in year one to 1,000 in year two. Donovan Maess reports.

In just his second Canadian Football League (CFL) season, Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver Dohnte Meyers has made the most of his early opportunities to make an impact.

The Delta State University product says when he first arrived at training camp last season, he kept expectations obtainable.

“I was just focused on making the roster,” Meyers said with his beaming signature smile. “Coming to camp as a rookie, we just started with baby steps.”

After getting hurt in training camp last year, Meyers appeared in just four games before suffering a season-ending injury in the Labour Day Classic.

Despite that, he recorded nearly 350 receiving yards.

This year, with injuries slamming the Riders’ receiving room, Meyers has been handed extra responsibility, meeting the challenge head on.

In Week 18 against the Ottawa RedBlacks, Meyers needed just 102 receiving yards to cross 1,000 on the season.

He finished with 158 on six catches – adding his team-leading eighth touchdown to boot.

“I’ve never been a 1,000-yard receiver before, so I never had that goal in mind,” Meyers told CTV News. “It feels good to join some elite company. There are multiple guys in this room who have accomplished that feat, so to join the ranks with them and to model after their hard work proves [it] can lead to success.”

Meyers joins teammate KeeSean Johnson in the 1,000-yard club for Saskatchewan this season.

The two-headed monster down field has allowed for the Riders’ attack through the air to run smoothly, despite the rotating door in the receiving core.

Quarterback Trevor Harris says a close friend of his first told him about Meyers before he arrived in Saskatchewan.

The pivot added he saw Meyers’ skill set early in his time in Green.

“When [Meyers] came in, the first few days, he kind of flashed a little bit and I was like, ‘okay, this guy’s got something to him,” Harris said. “During camp, we knew he was a good football player. You could see it early on.”

“In his first two games, he went for over 100 yards, 101 to be exact. And you knew he had that big play ability,” he added.

Meyers has also gained the confidence of offensive coordinator Marc Mueller to call his number in crucial spots.

“He just continues to get better each day,” Mueller told reporters. “That’s what a lot of those guys in that [receiver] room do, is work hard and they enjoy being around each other, which makes a big difference.”

“I’ve been very impressed and hopefully that this is just the beginning for a guy like him,” he added.

Saskatchewan now has two 1,000-yard American receivers in its offence in the form of Meyers and Johnson.

The last time that happened was 2017, when three Americans – Duron Carter, Naaman Roosevelt and Bakari Grant – surpassed 1,000 yards.

Out of the backfield, running back A.J. Ouellette has also rushed for 1,000 yards.

Mueller says the team’s versatility has been one of their greatest assets this season.

“We can do lots of different stuff when we have an offensive line that works as hard as they do, is physical and allows us to run and pass,” he said. “And then you got a good quarterback who’s got a chance to do a lot of good things, too.”

Meyers credits the slew of experience around him for the bounds he has been able to take this season.

“We feed off of each other,” he said. “There’s no big ‘I’s’ and little ‘you’s’. We’re all here together and we all continue to grow. All of us can go for a big game. The ball gets passed around all the time.”