‘Dreaming of these moments’: Rider rookies Wiebe, Conley shine, both earn CFL firsts in debuts

Despite the 40-34 loss to the Argos on Friday, Rider rookies Daniel Wiebe and Quali Conley were able to make an impact.

With veterans like A.J. Ouellette out of the lineup and Samuel Emilus going down, the Saskatchewan Roughriders had to turn to a couple rookies to make an impact Friday.

Seizing the opportunity to see their first regular season snaps in professional football, receiver Daniel Wiebe and running back Quali Conley made the moment count – both scoring their first career touchdowns against the Toronto Argonauts.

“I was excited,” Wiebe said following the game. “I’ve been dreaming of that, to play a game – a pro game – means a lot.”

“This is a big one,” Conley added. “Not a lot of people get to play in the CFL. There’s always somebody who wishes they were in my position. I’m grateful I’m here playing football.”

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Wiebe grew up in Rosetown, Sask. He made his way through youth football before ending up at the University of Saskatchewan, where he spent five seasons with the Huskies.

Growing up as a Roughriders fan, scoring a touchdown for his beloved Green and White is a dream come true.

“I’ve been dreaming of these moments since I was a kid,” the receiver said. “To do it with the Riders, it means everything.”

“It’s kind of everything I imagined and more at the same time. It still hasn’t really set in. It’s kind of crazy we’re living it right now,” Wiebe added.

Wiebe was thrust into action after star receiver Samuel Emilus went down with an injury.

Not only was the U of S product asked to catch passes, but he was also tasked with fielding kicks.

He made just two catches for 48 yards – one for 42 yards, his first professional reception, and his touchdown catch from six yards out.

“I want to be helping out the team as much as I can,” Wiebe told reporters. “To be putting points up on the board means a lot. It takes everyone, that doesn’t happen without other guys doing their jobs leading up to it.”

Conley, a University of Arizona graduate, made his first CFL start Friday after it was revealed Ouellette was out with an ankle injury.

His first professional carry did not go as well as Wiebe’s – as Conley was stuffed at the line of scrimmage for no gain.

The second rush was much better, gaining 18 yards on the play.

“I was too anxious,” the rookie running back admitted. “I missed the whole gap. My coaches calmed me down and told me to be patient; after that, I was feeling good.”

It has been quite the journey for Conley to get to Saskatchewan.

After going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, he ended up with the Cincinnati Bengals before being cut.

Then he wound up in Montreal, where he spent just four days with the Alouettes before being released.

He was signed by Saskatchewan just days prior to the team’s first preseason game this year.

That long road making his first CFL game – and touchdown – all the more meaningful.

“I’m just so grateful,” Conley said after the game. “You always have to trust yourself, your ability to play and always have faith.”

Conley was quick to recognize the efforts of his offensive line who opened up a gaping hole for him to run 17 yards into the endzone.

“[They] blocked their butts off,” he added.

Saskatchewan did not end up on the winning side of the scoreboard, falling to the Argos 40-34 in Friday’s matchup.

Despite that, the efforts of the young rookies did not go unnoticed.

“There was a lot of positives,” head coach Corey Mace said after the loss. “Young guys made some big plays today. I’m extremely proud of that and it’s going to help us going forward.”

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“We know what that means to [Wiebe], and what it means to us honestly. He just works his tail off. He sparked and gave us some juice. Really proud of that guy. And I thought Conley played really well as well.”

Mace pointing to a few key blocks Conley made to give quarterback Trevor Harris a few extra moments to make a pass.

“He had to see some big runs, obviously the score, but he laid a hellacious block to keep Trevor upright,” the coach added. “Those are the things that are important, selfless stuff. I was really pleased with how he played.”