Tommy Stevens was Automatic at Princess Auto Stadium.

Two impactful appearances in the 112th Grey Cup Game. Two one-yard touchdown runs. In the interest of consistency, why not follow with a two-year contract extension?

Stevens’ new deal was announced on Friday by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who earned the fifth CFL championship in franchise history by defeating the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 on Nov. 16 in Winnipeg.

The score was fitting, in that No. 17 (Stevens) debuted as a Roughrider in ’25. It was just a start.

“This is the only deal that I was hoping for,” said the Indianapolis-born Stevens, who plans to spend most of the off-season in Regina.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time here this season … and who didn’t?

“You can get on the phone with any of the players from the 2025 team and I think every one of them will have good things to say.”

You can’t say anything but good things about Stevens, who joined the Roughriders in February after being a short-yardage cheat code for three seasons with the Calgary Stampeders.

That reputation was enhanced by his uncanny reliability as a first-year Rider. He converted 33 of 36 short-yardage situations — defined here as a first-, second- or third-down play with no more than two yards needed to move the chains. When called upon, he gained an average of 2½ times the yardage required during the regular season.

That was before he tied a Roughriders record for touchdowns in a Grey Cup Game, joining Kory Sheets and Geroy Simon (both of whom scored twice in 2013).

“I was just very thankful to have a role in the game and, obviously, affect the game in a positive way,” Stevens said. “That’s really all I ever want to do.”

The role was expanded beyond short-yardage situations by Offensive Co-ordinator Marc Mueller, who took advantage of opportunities to use the 6-foot-4, 245-pound weapon to close out games with hard-charging rushes that devoured yardage and valuable time on the clock.

That was a complement to the many examples of Stevens gaining a crucial yard — and then some — when the alternative is a turnover on downs.

“The times I do get in the huddle and I get in there, you can kind of see it in people’s eyes,” he said. “They know what’s about to happen and they’re excited for their job. That’s a really cool thing.

“I’ve been fortunate to be with two teams that took short yardage very seriously.”

The serious approach to football is such that pre-game jitters are part of the equation. That was true before the Grey Cup, to cite just one example.

“I felt the same way for my jamboree game in the fourth grade,” he said. “It’s always the same feeling of nerves and it always goes away after the first hit. Once I was settled into the game, it was time to go.”

And a reason to stay in Saskatchewan.

“Being a football fan and a football lover, I couldn’t imagine not wanting to be a part of this,” Stevens said. “It’s an awesome place. I think this is the best overall environment in this league, in this country, to play football.

“There’s nobody I would rather play for than Coach Mace. There’s nobody I would rather, in theory, go to war with than the teammates that I had here.”

That includes newly resigned quarterback Trevor Harris. Stevens lauded the 2025 Grey Cup MVP as someone who “truly taught me how to be a professional.” High praise, indeed.

“He embodies everything that everybody sees on the surface from the media side of things,” Stevens said. “That’s just Trevor. It’s not a show. He’s truly that every single day.

“I’m thankful to be his teammate and thankful to be his friend. I truly wanted whatever was best for Trevor.

“Selfishly, I was hoping that meant that he’d be back with us, and I was hoping that I could also be a part of it. I’m glad that both things can hold true.”

That being done, Stevens looks forward to being a Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation player ambassador and, in that capacity, visiting schools across the province.

“That’s another awesome part of being here — having the Foundation,” said Stevens, who turns 29 on Dec. 15. “I’m definitely excited to be a part of that. Any way that I can give back to the community and give back to the younger generation, I’m happy to do it.

“Football has done so much for me. I’m so thankful that I come from a football family. I was born on a Sunday night in December and my dad said, ‘The Raiders are playing.’ They put a football in my crib the day that I was born.

“I wouldn’t say it was destiny for this to happen, but it’s definitely my dream.”

BRUNSTEIN BOASTS BIG NUMBERS

In 137 years of covering sports, I’m not sure I have heard of a receiver with college credentials quite like those of Collin Brunstein.

Brunstein, whose signing was announced by the Roughriders on Wednesday, was a prolific pass-catcher (understatement!) at Illinois College.

In 40 games with the Blueboys — an NCAA Division III team — he caught 219 passes for 5,036 yards and 76 touchdowns.

The 6-foot-0, 190-pounder averaged 23.0 yards per catch and 125.9 yards per game.

In the one game he played as a rookie collegian, he caught one pass and it went for a 79-yard touchdown. The tone was set.

2021: 29 catches for 484 yards and eight TDs in nine games.

2022: 25 catches for 733 yards and nine TDs in nine games. Average yards per catch: 29.3! And he was just warming up …

2023: 91 catches for (you won’t believe this) 2,200 yards and (you won’t believe this, either) 31 TDs in 11 games. Single-game receiving-yardage totals, in order: 106, 115, 183, 146, 313, 265, 289 (five TDs), 202, 251, 178, 152 (15 receptions).

2024: 73 catches for 1,540 yards and 27 TDs in 10 games. The finale was a 14-catch, 335-yard, four-TD eruption against Beloit. Over the final five games, he had four four-TD games and one-three TD outing.

Brunstein’s 77 career receiving touchdowns are an NCAA record, regardless of division.

Only once before have the Roughriders signed a player from Illinois College. Receiver Austin Ellsworth tried out for the Green and White in 2019. To this day, Ellsworth is the only Riders recruit from Gypsum, Col.

Brunstein is the fourth Riders prospect to hail from Jacksonville, Ill. Here’s the quirky part: The other three were all with the team in 1983.

They are: Defensive back Bruce Baldwin (from Harding College; 14-day trial, 1983), quarterback Chip Stuart (Gardner-Webb; training camp and 14-day trial, 1983) and offensive lineman Peter Wilson (Simon Fraser; six games, 1983; training camp, 1984).

BILL BUTLER (1937-2025)

Former Roughriders running back Bill Butler passed away on Nov. 28. He was 88.

Butler signed with Saskatchewan on Aug. 20, 1965 and played in 12 CFL games that season. He carried the ball 44 times for 138 yards, caught 16 passes for 139 yards, and returned nine kickoffs for 206 yards.

Butler’s only touchdown as a Roughrider was a key part of an 11-9 comeback victory over the host Montreal Alouettes on Sept. 12, 1965.

At 10:13 of the fourth quarter, the Roughriders’ No. 32 caught a four-yard scoring pass from Ron Lancaster. Jack Abendschan’s convert created an 8-8 tie.

Montreal went ahead 9-8 on a 50-yard punt single by Bernie Faloney, but Saskatchewan answered with Abendschan’s 22-yard, game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left in the game.

A 19th-round draft choice by the Green Bay Packers in 1959, Butler spent six seasons in the NFL before joining the Roughriders.

Most of his success in the NFL was on defence and special teams.

While playing safety, he registered 11 career interceptions — including three for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1961 and five for the Minnesota Vikings in 1962. He returned an interception for a touchdown in both of those seasons.

Butler also scored punt-return touchdowns for Green Bay (1959) and Minnesota (1963).

Also of note: Butler played for the Dallas Cowboys in the first game in franchise history. He returned three kickoffs for 105 yards in a 35-28 loss to Pittsburgh at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Sept. 24, 1960. One of his returns covered 60 yards.

It was a crazy contest, in which quarterbacks Bobby Layne (Pittsburgh) and ex-Calgary Stampeder Eddie LeBaron (Dallas) combined for seven touchdown passes — including scoring strikes of 75, 70, 65, 49 and 48 yards.

ROLL CREDITS …

• Nice people who deserve a plug: Brittany Brecht, Kelly Findling, Barbra Bell, Linda Sinclair, Makayla Lang, Larry Kielo, Tommy Stevens, Trevor Harris, Jack Abendschan, Marjorie Abendschan, Eva Fletcher, Rod Fink, Marianne Fink, Rebecca Perigny, Rob Palmarin, Josh Shaw, Mark Habicht, Megan Herber, Peter Scherr, Darrell Romuld, Jordan Greenly and, even though we have yet to meet, Collin Brunstein!!!