A.J. Ouellette is amassing rushing yards at a rate unapproached by a Saskatchewan Roughrider since their championship season of 2013.
Ouellette reached the 1,000-yard benchmark on Saturday, when the Roughriders’ 14th game of the 2025 CFL was a matchup with the host Edmonton Elks.
The last Rider rusher to hit the milestone at a faster pace was Kory Sheets, who surpassed 1,000 yards in the eighth game of the 2013 campaign and capped a sensational season by earning Grey Cup MVP honours.
That is an example of how individual success can be part of a collective effort — the context in which Ouellette appreciates the significance of gaining 1,000 yards.
“It symbolizes availability … the ability to stay healthy as a running back,” he said after Thursday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium.
“You get told by every person out there that running back is the worst position to play. Nobody ever wants to play that, because of all the hits and stuff that we take.
“To be able to stay healthy this long into the season, it’s a tribute to the training staff and all that.”
Ouellette is quick to disagree with the assessment that running back is the worst position to play.
“It’s the best position to play,” he countered with a smile. “It’s the last gladiator in sports, right?
“They got rid of the enforcers in hockey and people out there getting abused. O-line’s tough, but …”
They don’t come any tougher than the 5-foot-8, 208-pound Ouellette, who administers at least as much punishment as he absorbs on his bruising runs.
“That’s what we pride ourselves on,” he said. “The DB is going to come in and try to make a tackle. You want to punish them to make our receivers run routes a little better on them.
“Make them limp off the field. Make them adjust their chinstrap. Call them names when they get off … do something to throw off their game.”
Ouellette’s importance to the offence was underlined on Saturday, when he began and ended a 108-yard touchdown march — the Roughriders’ longest drive since 2007. (See chart below.)
During that extended possession, he had five carries for 58 yards, including a 31-yard scamper that was soon followed by a five-yard TD. His contributions to the 108-yarder also included an 11-yarder (to begin the trek), a nine-yarder (which set up a first-and-goal situation from the five-yard line) and a two-yarder (on second-and-one).
“In this league, if you can establish a long drive like that, it gives the defence a break,” Ouellette said. “It keeps our defence fresh and it breaks the will of the (opposing) defence. And, of course, I like running the ball.”
Ouellette has carried the ball 204 times — already a career high — with four regular-season games remaining.
The previous peak total for carries was 178, in 15 games with the 2023 Toronto Argonauts. He rushed for 1,009 yards that season before signing with Saskatchewan as a free agent the following February.
At this rate, Ouellette will carry the ball 262 times, which would be the 11th-best in team history and the fourth-highest by anyone not named George Reed.
With 1,057 rushing yards, Ouellette is only four behind B.C. Lions tailback James Butler’s league-leading total of 1,061.
Saskatchewan has not boasted a CFL rushing leader since 1996, when Robert Mimbs gained 1,403 yards. Receiver D’Sean Mimbs, Robert’s son, is on the Roughriders’ practice roster.
In total, the Roughriders have had a rushing kingpin eight times. Reed accomplished that feat from 1965 to 1969, inclusive, and again in 1974. Mike Strickland led the loop in 1978. It was Mimbs’ turn in 1996.
Ouellette enters Friday’s game against the host Ottawa REDBLACKS having rushed for one touchdown in each of the Roughriders’ past four games. Tack on a TD reception and he has a team-best eight majors.
Even at this stage of the season, Ouellette boasts the highest touchdowns total by a Roughrider since 2019, when William Powell had 14 touchdowns (12 on the ground and two via receptions) and quarterback Cody Fajardo ran for 10 scores.
Powell, with 1,093 yards in 2019, and Ouellette are the only Roughriders to reach 1,000 since Sheets exploded for 1,598 in 15 games with the 2013 edition.
“Credit to A.J. and, obviously, the offensive line and the receivers,” Head Coach Corey Mace said. “They’re blocking their tails off for him.
“He has been doing a great job. I’m sure he’s happy he could cross the 1,000-yard mark, but he just wants to keep winning.”
ROUGHRIDERS’ LONGEST DRIVES
109 yards at Edmonton, Nov. 12, 1956 (concluded with a four-yard TD pass from Frank Tripucka to Harry Lampman in a playoff game).
109 vs. Edmonton, Sept. 21, 1963 (Ron Lancaster to Dale West, eight-yard TD pass).
109 vs. B.C., Oct. 24, 1971 (Bubba Wyche to Gord Barwell, five-yard TD pass).
109 at Calgary, July 18, 1991 (Rick Worman to Willis Jacox, 106-yard TD pass).
108 at Ottawa, Oct. 29, 1994 (Tom Burgess, one-yard TD run).
108 at Hamilton, Oct. 14, 2007 (Kerry Joseph, 14-yard TD run).
108 at Edmonton, Sept. 27, 2025 (A.J. Ouellette, five-yard TD run).