Kosi Onyeka enjoyed an impressive start even before his first play from scrimmage as a front-line member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ defence.

Before concentrating on his duties as the starting safety, there was the imperative of covering the opening kickoff of Saturday’s Labour Day Rematch against the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“I was hoping that we’d be on the kickoff first so I could just go straight into action and that’s exactly what happened,” he said. “So I ran down there on kickoff (coverage) and then went straight into defence.

“I made the tackle on the first kickoff, so it was a smooth little transition into defence. It kind of got my blood flowing.”

After limiting kickoff returner Trey Vaval to 15 yards, Onyeka — in his 38th career CFL regular-season game — helped the Roughriders win 21-13 and improve their record to a league-best 10-2.

“He has been working his tail off,” said Head Coach Corey Mace, who doubles as the Roughriders’ Defensive Co-ordinator.

“For us to put the trust in him to go out there and execute in a game of that nature, that says something.”

The 25-year-old Onyeka, a fourth-year Roughrider, ascended to starting duty after safeties Nelson Lokombo (ankle) and Jaxon Ford (knee) were both sidelined with injuries.

“All the hard work and preparation finally paid off,” Onyeka said leading up to Saturday’s game against the Montreal Alouettes (5 p.m., Mosaic Stadium). “It’s a blessing, but I can’t be satisfied there.

“We still have plays to make. We still have games to win. It’s good getting my feet wet, but we’ve still got to climb up the ladder.

“I still have goals for myself that I want to reach. Every day, I just try to put that work in to try to get there.”

The calibre of Onyeka’s work on special teams is well documented.

He had 17 special teams tackles in 2023 and seven more (in 10 games) the following season. This year, he has 10 special teams stops (including games of four and three) in five appearances since returning from a knee injury he suffered in training camp.

“Special teams is a very important aspect of the game,” Onyeka said. “It’s a third of the game — offence, defence, special teams.

“Especially in Canada, with three downs, special teams gets a lot of reps, a lot of time on the field. If you can prove that you can do more, the more value you have as a player and the more trust you can build with the coaches.

“So every day I come in and I do my work. The coaches see that, my teammates see that, and that way I can build my trust and then they feel comfortable with starting me back there.

“Whatever I can do to help the team win, that’s always what I’m going to do.”

At the same time, he will be unsparing in terms of critiquing his own play.

“How would I grade it? It wasn’t the best personally, but I set my teammates up for success,” the former University of Guelph Gryphons standout said.

“We had four picks in that game. We won the game as well, so it wasn’t too bad, all things considered. But I’m trying to get a pick myself.”

Onyeka is quick to commend Mace and Defensive Backs Coach/Pass Game Co-ordinator Joshua Bell for their impact on the secondary and the “tightly knit” defence as a whole.

“Everyone is really close and, obviously, this is our second year in the system with a lot of guys returning,” Onyeka said. “A lot of guys already know their role and know what to do. They know the whole scheme of the defence.
“Shout-out to the defensive line. The D-line leads the league in sacks. That helps us on the back end.

“It’s a complementary game. If we’re playing well on the back end, the D-line can get to the passer. If the D-line is getting to the passer, it helps the DBs, because we can be really aggressive and attach to routes and attack the quarterback.

“It’s just a testament to the work that we put in every day and the expectation and the standard that we set for ourselves at the end of last year.

“Everyone coming back into the building knows that, ‘OK, we made it to the Western Final, but there’s bigger goals.’ We’ve got to get to the Grey Cup.

“Sure, we’re 10-and-2 right now, but we’re just scratching the surface. We all have goals to raise the Grey Cup in November and we won’t stop until we get there.”