Stamps defensive back Godfrey Onyeka snares first CFL interception against Riders

Calgary Stampeders defensive back Godfrey Onyeka waited a long time for his first CFL interception.

Stampeders defensive back Godfrey Onyeka waited a long time for his first CFL interception.

The 31-year-old was drafted in the second round, 10th overall, by the Edmonton Elks in the 2018 CFL draft.

His first pick didn’t come until last Saturday, when he finally got one against another of his former teams, the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Teammates mobbed him, and Onyeka says it meant a lot.

“Seven years, first pick. It was pretty cool,” he said.

“I was talking to one of my old coaches from the Riders, and he was like, ‘You’re a better man than me.’ He said, ‘If I was you, I would’ve ran all the way to the other sideline and got in their face.’”

Worth the wait

Onyeka was so excited, he threw the ball up in the air and didn’t think to get it back so he could put it on his mantelpiece.

He says he didn’t think it was going to take this long to get his first pick, but it was well worth the wait.

“I was pretty good in college at Laurier. I was a high pick, and I always thought it would come a lot sooner. But there’s been injuries and circumstances that I couldn’t control, and it honestly made it sweeter that it came this late.”

A smart player

Onyeka was lifted to the starting role at cornerback after the injury to Adrian Greene.

Head Coach Dave Dickenson has been impressed with his game and says he’s also very smart.

“He’s kind of like a (Jon) Cornish type. He likes to know the why, as in, ‘Why are we doing this?’ and then he takes it to the field. He’s getting an opportunity; it’s Year 7 and I don’t know how many career starts he has, but we’ve probably topped his career starts in one year and he is improving,” Dickenson said.

“His special teams and his physicality, I think, are what set him apart. And he’s got a great attitude.”

The other side

Onyeka has been on the other side of the Battle of Alberta with the Elks in 2018 and 2019.

He’s looking forward to putting on the Stampeders’ black jersey on Monday, and he’s excited about how the team is playing going into the big matchup.

“I’ve done it on the other side, and it was pretty cool,” he said.

“But with this team we have this year, the atmosphere we have going and just everything going into this game, I have a really good feeling about the game.”

Kickoff for the Labour Day Classic is a little after 4 p.m. on Monday at McMahon Stadium.