Sheldrick Redwine is savouring his first taste of the CFL.

“It’s beautiful,” the 28-year-old Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back says leading up to Friday’s home game against the Toronto Argonauts.

“It’s my type of vibe. It’s a football town with a great fan base, so I love it.”

Redwine made his three-down football debut last Friday, helping the Roughriders improve their league-best record to 11-4 by defeating the host Ottawa REDBLACKS 20-13.

Saskatchewan is Redwine’s eighth stop in a professional football journey that includes time spent with the Cleveland Browns (2019-20), New York Jets (2021), Carolina Panthers (2021), Miami Dolphins (2021), Indianapolis Colts (2022), Dallas Cowboys (2022-24) and Washington Commanders (2024).

The former University of Miami Hurricanes standout played in 34 NFL regular-season games and two playoff contests after being drafted by Cleveland in 2019 (fourth round, 119th overall).

With the Browns, he intercepted two of the seven top passing-yardage producers in league history.

Ben Roethlisberger (fifth) of the Pittsburgh Steelers was picked off by Redwine during a Jan. 10, 2021 post-season game, won 48-37 by Cleveland.

Philip Rivers (seventh) threw a pick to Redwine during an Oct. 11, 2020 regular-season contest between the Browns and Indianapolis.

“Every time you get your hands on the ball, it’s a beautiful opportunity,” Redwine says with a smile.

One of Rivers’ biggest admirers happens to be Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris, who had an opportunity to meet the eight-time Pro Bowl selection this past off-season.

Redwine was introduced to Harris shortly after signing with Saskatchewan on Sept. 14.

“Trev is a great leader,” the 6-foot-0, 196-pound coverage specialist says. “In the short time that I’ve been here, he’s made some amazing throws.

“Being able to go against Trevor every day (in practice) has been a blessing for me.”

So is the privilege of playing football for a living, wherever the sport may take him.

“It’s a beautiful experience,” the Roughriders’ No. 16 says. “I love the game. I was raised around the game. My stepfather was my coach in high school. My cousin was my head coach in high school.

“I’ve been around the game. This is just another stop in the journey from when I was four years old. It’s still the same game, but there are different nuances that you’ve got to get used to — and you’ve got to get up to the play speed, that’s all.”

The family football ties extend to an uncle, Jarvis Redwine, who was chosen by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round (52nd overall) of the 1981 NFL Draft.

Jarvis Redwine was a consensus All-American selection as a senior with the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers after rushing for 1,119 yards and averaging 7.2 yards per carry over 11 games in 1980.

In so doing, he became the first running back to register back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in the storied history of the Nebraska football program.

Now in Saskatchewan, Sheldrick Redwine is a teammate of ex-Cornhuskers offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick — whose wife, Samantha, starred in track and field at the Lincoln-based university.

Saskatchewan and Nebraska are both a long way from Redwine’s hometown of Miami but, football being as close as it is to his heart, he is pleased and proud to be here.

“I’m a football player,” he states. “It doesn’t matter if it’s my first game or my 100th game. When I get out there, I have to be able to produce and help the team get a win.”