American CFL player didn't know Canadian rule and it cost his team the game
Louisiana native CJ Sims had likely never heard of a “rouge” before coming to Canada, but you can bet the CFL rookie will now remember it for the rest of his life.
Not often does a professional athlete completely forget the rules of the sport he is playing, but that is exactly what happened to the Edmonton Elks kick returner on Thursday night in Regina.
With just 1:04 remaining in the fourth quarter of an 11-11 game, the Saskatchewan Roughriders kicked off and sent the ball past Sims and into the Elks’ end zone. Sims jogged back nonchalantly and took a knee.
Doing what Sims did while playing American rules in the NFL or NCAA would result in a touchback and would mean his team would get possession at their own 20-yard line, with no points awarded. But in the CFL, this is a rouge and gives the opposing team a single point.
So when Sims took a knee, Edmonton gave up a point and lost the game 12-11.
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Given his lackadaisical effort and reaction immediately afterward, it was pretty clear that Sims didn’t understand this particular CFL rule. After the game ended, the return man expressed regret.
āIt hurts, man. It hurts. I feel like I let the team down. It hurts,ā Sims said. āIt was a boneheaded play by me, but Iāll learn from my mistakes, and itāll never happen again.ā
As disappointing as it was, Elks head coach Chris Jones made sure to have Sims’ back.
āHe knows [he made a mistake],ā Jones said. āThe moment was big and heās a good little player. There will probably be more people talking about this than when he had a great game returning the other day.ā
Jones isn’t wrong in that regard, as many have been poking fun at Sims for the major blunder. Elks fans probably aren’t in a mood to laugh it off, as Edmonton is winless in five straight games to start the 2023 season.
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