The Roughrider Foundation is all about giving back to the community that quite obviously gave so much to them over the years. The foundation has been in place since 2019 officially and they concentrate on giving to the community, as stated, which of course is an integral part to the team itself (the team’s community of fans). I mean, they don’t call it Rider Nation for nothing dear readers.

In full, the foundation concentrates on the sectors of health, education and of course amateur football, doing their part to shape the future of the team’s future roster perhaps, as well as its dedicated community.

And speaking of education and football, it was recently reported by riderville.com (link below), that Mason Fine went over to the Scott Collegiate campus to visit with a very special member of the Thom Trojans football team…the QB himself, Rashawn Taniskishayinew.

As the aforementioned report suggests, Taniskishayinew has had issues with mental health and through it all manages to get excellent grades in school and is a leader in the locker room as well. He had the following to say while speaking with Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post at some point last year:

“I had no motivation playing football— I was living an unhealthy life. My diet was bad and my mental health was bad

I decided that I was going to train myself mentally and physically, and now I feel happy with myself. Even when we take these tough losses every single week, I find myself smiling because I see so much improvement in myself and I see so much improvement in my teammates…I just can’t do anything but smile.”

via riderville.com

As well as connecting with Taniskishayinew, Fine brought along some gifts from the foundation which also included bus passes, and we’re sure just his mere presence was gift enough and inspiring to the young football stars of that school.

Update on Cody Fajardo’s future with the team, as per Fajardo himself

Cody Fajardo had a bad end to the season this year. Understatement of the century perhaps, but regardless, he was of course benched by Riders head coach Craig Dickenson and as it were, it seems as though his time with the team is pretty much done.

Fajardo has made his unhappiness publicly known since being benched, as he most definitely should. Many members of Rider Nation also joined in on the chorus of boos aimed at head coach Dickenson for his panicked last minute decisions that had no impact on the direction the team was headed in anyways.

All those action accomplished was an embarrassing blow to Fajardo himself, who during the season put his health and future on the line for the team.

Fajardo went into the details about the end of the season and the impact it had on him recently when he spoke to Rod Pedersen on a recent episode of the Rod Pedersen Show (link to video below). Here’s some of what he had to say:

“There’s been no communication between me and the team, which is unfortunate. I would just like a sense of direction, whether they want me back or they don’t want me back, just so my family and I can plan…

The way that it ended, it hurt my feelings. It was a tough way to go out, but it happens…We’re in a ‘win-now’ business and ‘what-have-you-done-for-me-lately’ business, so I get it. It’s just unfortunate that it always has to start with the quarterback, but I get it…

It was a tough way to end the year after giving so much…I’ve got a lot of good football left in me…I watched every game at the end of the year, and I watched just about every throw, every drop-back, and there’s a lot of things I could have done better and I’m gonna learn a lot from last year…

I hope that this tough time will help me become a much better quarterback and that’s the goal when you go through trials and tribulations like that…Putting a clunky knee brace on a mobile quarterback is not ideal…

It wasn’t ideal for me but I wanted to be out there with my guys and I knew I’ve been able to play through that injury before. It’s unfortunate, I didn’t have my best year and there’s no excuses for that…

I just wish I would have taken some time off, maybe a game or two, and then just get back to 100 percent and go out there feeling like myself again. The COVID game didn’t help me at all, either. My knee, it helped a little bit but…I lost a lot of weight that I was carrying that can help protect me taking hits…”

via Cody Fajardo on The Rod Pedersen Show

He stated also that he got an early start on his off-season workouts, sounding quite motivated. That doesn’t sound like a man that’s done with the gridiron; not by a long shot, even if the Riders are no longer interested in him. He seems intent on getting back out there for sure, despite the hurt he feels. Looking forward to see where he ends up. We’ll keep you posted, dear readers.

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