The recent passing of former Saskatchewan Roughriders cornerback Barry Wilburn, who routinely shrink-wrapped rival receivers, got me thinking.

Along with Wilburn, who are the best players in Roughriders history who suited up for the team in only one season?

Wilburn, an All-CFL selection in 1993, was the epitome of a shut-down defensive back. Anyone who lined up opposite him was destined to be a non-factor.

Rider fans were lucky to have the pleasure of watching him play — if only for a brief time. See also:

Steve Adkins: The Roughriders’ first game-breaking receiver caught 11 passes for 232 yards against the visiting Saskatoon Hilltops on Oct. 6, 1934. The 11 receptions were the most in Roughriders history until Hugh Campbell matched that total against the visiting Montreal Alouettes on Sept. 5, 1966. Adkins’ single-game yardage record stood until Aug. 5, 1983, when Chris DeFrance established the current mark of 260 (on nine catches at Edmonton). In 1935, Adkins accepted a coaching position at Flandreau High School in his home state of South Dakota.

Holland Aplin: In 12 games with the 1952 Roughriders, Aplin caught 41 passes for 801 yards and six TDs. He was named the head basketball and baseball coach at Wimauma (Fla.) High School on July 25, 1953.

Rick Eber: In 1973, Eber caught 46 passes for 730 yards and seven TDs in 16 games. Like Aplin, Eber caught two TD passes in his first game as a Roughrider. Eber joined the Houston Texans of the fledgling World Football League in 1974, when he caught 66 passes for 771 yards and five scores.

R.C. Gamble: Gamble is more of a one-week wonder. In the space of four days, Gamble twice rushed for two TDs in a game. He played fullback in place of George Reed, who was nursing a leg injury during the final two regular-season games of 1970. Gamble was traded to the B.C. Lions as part of a four-player deal on April 16, 1971.

Cookie Gilchrist: Carlton Chester (Cookie) Gilchrist rushed for 1,254 yards in 1958, becoming the first Roughrider to exceed 1,000 yards along the ground. The 6-foot-3, 251-pound bulldozer was traded to the Toronto Argonauts on May 7, 1959 for receiver Menan (Tex) Schriewer, running back Louis Elias and cash.

Bobby Johnson: Johnson was an All-CFL selection in 1986 after rushing for 869 yards and 12 TDs in 13 games. He caught 43 passes for 373 yards and another major. On Oct. 12, 1986, he suffered a career-ending neck injury early in the fourth quarter of a home game against Montreal.

Jack Nix: In 1951, Nix caught 46 passes for 599 yards and seven TDs over 13 regular-season games. He also caught a TD pass in the 1951 Grey Cup Game against the Ottawa Rough Riders. Nix was unable to resume his playing career due to commitments to the United States Marine Corps. He returned to the pro game as an NFL back judge (1958 to 1967). Bonus tidbit: He was an outstanding jazz pianist! (See: iTunes.)

Willie Pless: The future Canadian Football Hall of Fame middle linebacker could have been a Roughrider in 1986, as opposed to 1999. However, Saskatchewan traded his negotiation-list rights to Toronto on May 2, 1986 for defensive lineman John Gonzalez. Pless starred for Toronto (1986 to 1989), B.C. (1990) and Edmonton (1991 to 1998) before winding down his illustrious playing career in 1999. As a 35-year-old Roughrider, he registered 102 defensive tackles, seven sacks and three interceptions en route to earning divisional All-CFL recognition. (Pless turns 62 today, by the way. Happy birthday!)

Jack Russell: Russell made the Western Interprovincial Football Union’s all-star team in 1951 after catching 47 passes for 818 yards and nine TDs in 14 games. On Feb. 28, 1952, Russell signed a new contract but was unable to play due to a knee injury he had suffered during the 1951 WIFU post-season.

Ricky Schmitt: In 2013, the Virginia-born Schmitt was named the Roughriders’ Most Outstanding Special Teams Player after averaging 45.0 yards per punt. He suited up for Saskatchewan in its 45-23 Grey Cup victory over the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Nov. 24, 2013. Schmitt signed with B.C. as a free agent on Feb. 20, 2014.

Neal Smith: Smith was named the Roughriders’ Most Outstanding Rookie and a West Division All-Star in 1999 after registering nine sacks in 14 games. Smith, who earned an engineering degree from Montana State University, retired from football on June 11, 2000.

Brian Walling: Walling dressed for only six games with Saskatchewan. After suiting up for three regular-season contests in 1989, he was in the lineup throughout a playoff run that culminated in a Grey Cup victory. Most memorably, he scored on a 50-yard run with 1:38 remaining in the Western Semi-Final versus Calgary. Dave Ridgway’s convert gave Saskatchewan a 30-26 lead. Another Ridgway field goal completed the scoring as Saskatchewan won 33-26 at McMahon Stadium. Walling, who was claimed off Edmonton’s practice roster on Oct. 19, 1989, returned to his former team by prior arrangement in February of 1990.

Peter Watson: Like Johnson, Watson is a “what might have been?” story. Shortly after being acquired from Toronto on Feb. 14, 1974, he signed a five-year contract with Saskatchewan. He was a spectacular presence over the Roughriders’ first eight games before suffering a knee injury in B.C. on Sept. 7, 1974. Following surgery, he tried out for the Roughriders in 1975 and 1976 but never played in another CFL game. What if he had remained healthy and with the Riders for the duration of that five-year contract? Within a month, remember, he scored on a 75-yard reception (Aug. 9), 79-yard run (Aug. 16) and 78-yard reception (Sept. 2) during the 1974 season.

NUMBERS GAME

Saskatoon-based statistical genius Keith Willoughby, a regular contributor to this space, passed along the following item earlier this week.

“For the first time in 111 seasons (and just the second time in league history), the Grey Cup winner’s total points in the championship game exactly matched the year of the competition,” Keith began. “To wit, the Saskatchewan Roughriders notched a 25-17 victory over Montreal in the year 2025.

“You’d have to go way back to 1914 to find a similar phenomenon. In the 1914 Grey Cup Game, the Toronto Argonauts won their first Grey Cup with a 14-2 victory over the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.

“Of course, many of the total points and year combinations are entirely infeasible. Had the Roughriders won the 2007 Grey Cup game by scoring a scant seven points, or if they had bested Hamilton in the 1989 championship by scoring an astronomical 89 points, I’m sure this would have made headline news.”

As it was, Saskatchewan scored 43 points to win the most exciting Grey Cup Game ever played.

AN OLYMPIAN MINI-RANT

It never fails. Some people inevitably feel compelled to opine about perceived failure during the Olympics.

In recent days, how many times have you heard or read “failed to win a gold medal,” “fails to reach the podium,” etc.?

It is such a shallow perspective.

Anyone who qualifies for the Olympics is among the world’s elite athletes. An Olympian is, by nature, a remarkable success.

Someone who finishes fourth — just off the podium — is the antithesis of a failure.

That person is, using the Olympics as a barometer, the fourth-best in the world at a specific discipline.

How many people do you know who are the fourth-best in the world at anything?

Or the 31st-best in the world, for that matter?

Even if they don’t reach the podium, they have still demonstrated their skills on sport’s grandest stage.

That is something to applaud, regardless of who finishes first, second, third … or 43rd.

ROLL CREDITS …

• Nice people who deserve a plug: Garry McRadu, Wendy McRadu, Doug Mutschler, Sharron Esch, Eva Fletcher, Julie Kereluke, Marv Kereluke, Dr. Shahroki Etemadi, Brandon Renneberg, Kevin Mitchell, Darren Zary, Keith Willoughby, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Jon Cooper.