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<\/p>\nIf there\u2019s anybody West of the Prairies qualified to talk about the passionate football fans and culture in Saskatchewan, that man is Riley Pickett. Fresh off of putting pen to paper on a two-year contract extension, the Lions fullback, special teams foot soldier and Saskatoon native admits \u2018unfinished business\u2019 will carry him all through the off-season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve thought about it, honestly, every day since. It doesn\u2019t make it any better that I live here and have to work out with some of their guys,\u201d said Pickett in an interview with bclions.com.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re speaking, of course, about the Lions\u2019 gut-wrenching 24-21 Western Final loss at Saskatchewan that ended their 2025 championship aspirations with a resounding thud just five weeks ago. Even with the holiday presents being wrapped, it\u2019s a feeling that will linger for quite some time. And it should serve as motivation for Pickett and anyone who looks back on the feeling of walking off that frigid field on November 8th.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther than the Vanier Cup loss in 2021 (with Saskatchewan against Western), that was the worst sports moment to happen to me personally,\u201d stated Pickett.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like the wind being taken out of your lungs. Your stomach hits the floor. It was terrible. We were winning the whole game. We deserved it, came out and hit them in the mouth early and kept going. But that\u2019s just sport. Sometimes, the Football Gods just have a different plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Pick A Position: Pickett Will Thrive<\/p>\n
And the plan for Pickett has worked out fairly well so far. A fourth-round draft pick as a defensive end from the prestigious Saskatchewan Huskies program in 2022, the former Canada West All-Star had to ply his trade on the practice roster for half of his rookie year. He quickly learned that versatility could be his ally.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything was moving fast that year. It was the first year Nathan Rourke was popping off, so we had a lot of leads late in games that enabled me to get in on defence in my rookie year; super cool experience,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n
But with a surplus of defensive linemen on the roster in his second season, Pickett used his special teams prowess to parlay his roster spot into the long snapper position. That enabled him to start all 18 regular season games, plus his first two in the Grey Cup Playoffs. With the addition of NFL veteran Kyle Nelson in 2024, Pickett was able to remain as the snapper on field goals and further cemented his relationship with Sean Whyte and punters Stefan Flintoft and Carl Meyer.<\/p>\n
Pickett counts Nelson as one of the big mentors in his development, but it\u2019s the connection with the special teams coordinator from those two years that Pickett credits as his biggest source of professional guidance.<\/p>\n
\u201cMike Benevides and I have a very special bond, a very special relationship,\u201d said Pickett.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe trusted me to go in there without much practice and play more special teams and be one of the best players on that unit. He was very hard on me; he expected a lot out of me, because he knew how great I could be. It was perfect for me, because it was the same coaching style I had with both the Saskatoon Hilltops and Saskatchewan Huskies. It\u2019s tough, it\u2019s gritty and they expect greatness out of you. Bene really helped propel me to the next level in my career. I can definitely say that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Year four marked his latest, and if he has his way, his last, positional change. Pickett took over from the retired David Mackie as the club\u2019s starting fullback and racked up 62 yards from scrimmage on nine touches. Always multi-dimensional thanks to the guidance of Benevides, Pickett added 18 special teams tackles. He sees his current role as one he\u2019s excited to tackle for several years to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely know what my future is going to be: it\u2019s going to be playing fullback for the BC Lions. I couldn\u2019t be more excited, I couldn\u2019t be more proud,\u201d stated Pickett.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love playing in the Dome, I love playing in Victoria, I love playing in Kelowna and going to Kamloops for camp. I love all my teammates. It\u2019s such a good group of guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
And while he goes through the rigours of his off-season workouts with Saskatchewan Roughriders friends Noah Zerr, Logan Ferland and Nick Wiebe, just to name a few, Pickett will be reminded that the mountain climb is still to be completed.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody always says, \u2018When are you going to come back home?\u2019 \u2018Never, \u2018 I tell them. Absolutely not. This is personal for me. I would never join a team that beats me. Because I want to come out and top and beat them. I know what\u2019s possible for this group. I\u2019m really excited to get back with everybody and start the long journey for 2026 to hoist that Cup and right all the wrongs. I want to win that last game of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n