We aren't that far removed from the days when Darian Durant would step back after calling "black 182" and let a ball fly. I wrote in those days about the feelings I had once he was recovered from his injuries and the sense of dread that would befall the stands at Taylor Field when he'd have to come out of the game. The sense that 'well there goes this game' as someone relatively unknown would come in and the Riders would lose again.
Since then the Riders had Zach Collaros and while we all were hopeful that he'd be the right guy he never really caught on with fans. I don't know why exactly. I saw him interacting with fans at camp just like any other player would. For some reason we felt detached. I think that's why when he moved on to the Argonauts (where he didn't play a snap at all) and then the Bombers all of Rider Nation wished him luck. We just didn't wish him THAT much luck.
Even the two of us in my household declared the 2019 Roughrider season over.
Cody Fajardo was completely unknown to us when Jeremy O'Day signed him in 2019 Free Agency. All it took was once Kerry Joseph-esc play when Cody put it all on his own back and ran the ball into the endzone for a touchdown knocking the orange cone down in the process. That one play changed the projectory of that game and the 2019 Roughrider season and the entire outlook for the club.
How did he do it? With a sprinkle from Jesus of course.
How was he going to celebrate? A Carnival corndog.
Sure it's easy to say he saved us all one corndog at a time but there's a lot more to it than a little catch phrase or a box of snacks. For once, instead of feeling the dread of 'here we go again' Cody actually succeeded in scoring. He scored a touchdown, got the win and gave every Roughrider fan hope. Hope can be a dangerous thing. Hope is contagious.
Even on Thursday March 12th, when all the worldly news was bleak, Cody shared an Instagram story which got shared in ABC Rider Fans and immediately boosted all the moral of those visiting the page.
He's welcomed new Roughriders signed in Free Agency. He's congratulated Grey Cup Champions and those players on his team and others who have been given all star awards. Cody Fajardo is an all around great guy and very much seems like one of us. To me he also has some sort of familiar 1989-esc feeling to which we all know is charming and lovable.
But I don't think I really need to hype him that much. His actions speak for themselves.
Pogo Corndogs are on sale at the Co-Op $5.99 a box this week. It feels like a good time to stock up. Step away from the toilet paper though *wink*
lovely!
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