McAllister back in CFL groove with big returns - BERITAJA

CALGARY – Tyreik McAllister didn’t cognize overmuch about the Stampede Bowl, but the Calgary Stampeders’ big-play returner donned a cowboy chapeau Wednesday and said he’s fresh to find retired more.

The Stampeders (1-2) are astatine location Thursday to the Toronto Argonauts (2-1) successful the Stampede Bowl, which was introduced past twelvemonth to link Calgary’s CFL crippled to the yearly Calgary Stampede that dates backmost complete 100 years and starts Friday.

A bespoke trophy resembling a horse’s caput goes to Thursday’s victor astatine McMahon Stadium. Calgary hit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for it successful 2025.

The 28-year-old McAllister has scored return touchdowns successful back-to-back games for the first clip successful his life astatine immoderate level of football.

His second, which was a 90-yard punt return successful the 4th fourth Saturday successful Kelowna, B.C., was pivotal successful a 41-33 triumph complete the B.C. Lions for Calgary’s first triumph this season.

McAllister’s first was a 120-yard runback aft a missed section extremity successful an overtime nonaccomplishment to the Saskatchewan Roughriders successful Week 3.

“No amended emotion than returning 1 against anybody and past looking backmost and your teammates are coming to observe pinch you and the different team’s not there,” McAllister said.

He’s backmost successful the CFL aft a play pinch the Hamilton Tiger-Cats successful 2023, erstwhile McAllister led the convention successful all-purpose yards and kickoff return average.

Calgary classed past successful full return yards past season. So the squad sought a master successful signing the five-foot-nine, 192-pound moving backmost from Dillon, S.C., who appeared successful a brace of pre-season and 3 regular-season games pinch the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders successful 2024.

McAllister was about precocious pinch the United Football League’s Columbus Aviators.

“I do deliberation his legs are back,” Stampeders caput coach and wide head Dave Dickenson said. “He hadn’t played a batch of football. He surely hadn’t been successful our convention for a while.

“Even successful the NFL and successful the UFL, he hadn’t played a ton of football, but he has arsenic advertised, successful my opinion, been excellent.

“Our convention has outstanding returners. We spell up against them each week, and we’ve sewage the aforesaid guy, the feline that could deed a crease and he’s gone.”

The Argonauts besides boast a return threat successful Janarion Grant, whose 68-yard punt return to people successful Friday’s 40-34 triumph complete the defending Grey Cup champion Roughriders successful Regina was his 14th return touchdown to rank 3rd successful CFL history.

McAllister, who has compiled a mixed 359 yards connected kickoff and punt returns pinch Calgary, says it took clip to return to a CFL authorities of mind.

“My first twelvemonth successful Hamilton, that was my first twelvemonth successful the CFL. I was learning there,” he recalled. “I didn’t afloat grasp the full crippled the full year, but I was comfortable capable to wherever I came backmost present and I was a small comfortable, but it’s still a process of getting backmost utilized to the game.

“I wouldn’t opportunity I was afloat comfortable, but I consciousness for illustration I’m getting successful the groove.”

McAllister besides pointed retired the upwind that buffeted McMahon successful the team’s first 2 location games, and changed the trajectory of kicked footballs, “was a small chaotic for me.”

Both the Stampeders and Argonauts are operating connected short weeks, pinch Calgary’s a time shorter, heading into Thursday’s tilt astatine McMahon.

“This is different reliable force connected the road,” Argonauts caput coach Mike Miller said. “Calgary took Saskatchewan to double overtime, sewage the triumph past week against B.C.

“Dave does a bully occupation pinch that team. (Co-ordinator) Bob Slowik defence, they’re a beingness group, they alert to the football. They’re surely very opportunistic connected offence also.

“They person a premier returner there, they’ve sewage beingness screen teams truthful we’ve sewage different awesome situation that we’re excited about, but it’s a situation nonetheless.”

Toronto will beryllium minus violative lineman Dakoda Shepley (back) connected Thursday. Calgary merchandise Peter Nicastro shifts from centre to correct defender pinch Domenico Piazza astatine starting centre.

Just complete a week aft he was signed by Calgary, Benny Sapp draws successful astatine halfback for Jaydon Grant (ankle).

“I consciousness for illustration I’m going to beryllium ready,” Sapp said. “I would emotion to person much movie time, but sometimes you’ve sewage to beryllium a pro.”

Calgary’s players collected straw cowboy hats from stacks adjacent their dressing room doorway aft Wednesday’s walkthrough, but protect backmost Godfrey Onyeka wore his chapeau during immoderate drills.

“This is my first clip throwing 1 on,” McAllister said. “I’m liking it truthful far.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published July 1, 2026.

— With files from Dan Ralph successful Toronto.