Roughriders Jordan Williams-Lambert honours his mom by loving the world

It's amazing how quickly things can change in sports.

Just a few weeks ago, many Saskatchewan Roughriders fans were nervous about who was going to catch the football for the team.

The Riders released three veteran receivers — Rob Bagg, Bakari Grant, and Chad Owens — before the start of the season. A few weeks later, they cut the team's 2017 MVP, Duron Carter. 

• LISTEN: Jordan Williams-Lambert becomes a star thanks to mom

Those moves sparked a lot of anger, but one man has been able to throw some water on the fire the past few weeks.

Jordan Williams-Lambert is emerging as a young star for the Riders. The first-year player has strung together some solid games and currently leads the team in receptions and receiving yards.

Like many CFL players, the 24-year-old's path to success in Canada started from the bottom after being released by an NFL team. 

CBC's Peter Mills caught up with Williams-Lambert for more on that journey. Their conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I want to go back to how you got here in the first place. Did it all start at a camp in Akron, Ohio?

Yeah, my agent had referred me to the Saskatchewan Roughriders and told me to come to a camp. He said a lot of the decision makers were there so I came in trying to stand out. Fortunately I did and was invited to the [Riders] IMG Camp [in Bradenton, Fla.]. I went out there and did what I had to do to get a contract and come up here.

It's been a long journey and a lot of work put in. They're just seeing the end result of me getting on the field but they haven't seen the process of me getting here. It's been a blessing.

What are you thinking when your agent calls up and tells you about the Saskatchewan Roughriders?

I had a buddy who played here, Jonathan Newsome. I instantly called him to just kind of see what he thought about the program and everything. And I kind of did my research and saw how great the fan base and the supporters were. Then of course I saw Naam[an Roosevelt]. I knew Naam just because he's a MAC [Mid-American Conference] player and he made that transition here and has done a great job. So I was kind of looking forward to it, to get the opportunity to play out here.

You land in Saskatchewan. What are your first impressions?

Great team. Great people. Great fan base. Great support staff. Just a great opportunity. It's a great city to be in and a lot of good football being played here.

Recently, you told Roughriders senior reporter Ian Hamilton that people don't see a lot of the off-the-field stuff and that "it's a stressful game." What are the things we don't see?

I would just say the life of football. A lot of people see people get onto the field [but] they don't see what they had to do to get to that position to be on the field. And just the stress. You can be replaced at any time. A lot of people don't understand that and they don't understand the stress that comes with that. 

I hope she's smiling. I think about her every day and when I touch the field I send a prayer up hoping she's watching.- Jordan Williams-Lambert talking about his mother

Another thing people don't see is your time away from family. What has that been like?

It's tough to be away from the family but you gotta provide, you gotta put food on the table. We miss them. We talk on FaceTime. It's great to have technology, you can see them on the phone. But it's always better to be there in person so we try to have them come out to the games or stay in touch.

I was looking through your Instagram and there are a lot of family photos. Tell me about the family and why they mean so much to you?

It was a tough year last year. We lost my mom so that brought us closer as a group as far as my family with my brothers and sisters.

I have two older brothers, a younger brother, and a younger sister so kind of that role of keeping the family together. Playing that leadership in the family has been kind of the role I'm trying to take.

Tell me more about your mom. How important was she for getting you here?

Big time. Just with keeping my mind right, giving me the opportunity as a child to play a lot of the sports I did, and having the opportunities I did. [She] Kept clothes on my back, food.

I was the only one who had a scholarship so she sent my other four brothers and sisters to school. Fortunately for me, I was able to get a scholarship and play football and continue playing football.

I would say she was just a big part of the family, just being a strong woman and keeping us together, making sure everybody worked hard to get to their goals, achieve their goals. She was just a loving person. So I try to take that on and be a good person and love the world like she did.

How do you think she'd feel about your performances so far?

I hope she's smiling. I think about her every day and when I touch the field I send a prayer up hoping she's watching.

Another Instagram post I saw you share was saying that you miss your "two babies". Who are your two babies?

I have a fiancé, Christa. She's back at home. Then I have a car and I call my car my baby. And I got a little dog, I bought [Christa] a dog to keep her company while I'm gone.

It's not just any car...

Yeah. It's a Chrysler 300. Nothing too fancy but it gets around and I love it.

Have your family and friends had a chance to come watch you play yet?

Yeah she came up. Some of them will see the games on TSN and they'll tune into the online broadcast. But I want them to come out and see it in person because it's a different experience in person.

Obviously your family got to see you play when you were in the NFL. You recently told the Leader-Post's Murray McCormick that you have eyes on the NFL and you're not hiding it at all. You want to go back. So should fans not get too attached to you?

I wouldn't say that. It's football. You never know what could happen. If I do get the opportunity to stay here and play, you know, we'll see. I love it. I wouldn't be against it. But for right now I'm just doing what I gotta do to help the team win and I'll let everything sort itself out.

So the Williams-Lambert jersey would still be a worthy investment?

I would say so [laughs].

I know you're also on a couple of the Rider fan Facebook pages. How much are you following what people are saying? Because it can get pretty crazy on there.

I kind of like interacting with the fans ... let them know that I'm paying attention to some of the support that they have and some of the comments they make. So I'll get on there every now and then and try and keep them updated. Even the people back at home [in the United States] that follow me, I try to keep my Facebook updated.

What do you think it would take to stay here for the rest of your career?

(Laughs) Let's just say an extension. That would be a blessing. And that's all really I can say. We'll see what happens. 

Before I let you go, CFL Fantasy has you at $3,800 this week, which is on the lower end. A couple of weeks ago you were one of the cheapest players and put in one of the best performances. You have anything to say to the people who are making the prices on the CFL Fantasy?

No, I don't really pay attention to fantasy. I find it hard for people to worry about fantasy more than somebody's well-being. They'll get heated or somebody gets hurt. It think it's a good thing for the fans but I try to stay away from it.

Keep it to the real world?

Yeah [laughs].

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• Roughriders returner Christion Jones reclaiming fame in Sask.
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• Mr. Consistent: Roughrider Jovon Johnson a leader on and off the field
• Not the last frontier: Roughriders' Caleb Holley ready for more
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• Roughriders receiver Naaman Roosevelt quiet off the field, explosive on it