Wes Cates
Encyclopedia
Wes Cates is a professional Canadian football
running back
who is currently a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
football club in the Canadian Football League
.
and graduated in 2001 without ever missing a game in his four-year career. He had 5,647 total yards, a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) record, on 937 carries, 63 rushing touchdowns and 386 total points, all school records. He was an All-American for the last two years of his college career and he led the PSAC in rushing for three of his four seasons. Cates was also the PSAC-West Offensive Player of the Year in 2001 and he led the PSAC in rushing for three seasons. He was a PSAC-West first team All-Star selection for three years and he was also nominated for the Harlon Hill Award for best player in division 2 in his sophomore and senior seasons. A 1999 and 2001 All-American, Cates was drafted into the university's Athletic Hall of Fame in his first eligible year.
. He dressed for 17 of the Stampeders' 18 regular season games, but he did not get much playing time. He finished the season with only 25 rushing attempts for 181 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching 21 passes for 286 yards and one touchdown.
Just before the 2007 season began, Cates was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Cates immediately turned into a fan favourite and a hero to many with his speed and determination. He ran for 866 yards on 153 carries, caught 45 passes for 452 yards and scored five touchdowns. During the 2007 playoffs, Cates rushed for 128 yards on 25 attempts with a broken foot and he helped the Saskatchewan Roughriders win the Grey Cup
Championship.
In 2008, Cates rushed for 1229 yards, amassed 451 receiving yards and scored 16 touchdowns. He earned a spot on the CFL All-Star team for his accomplishments and ranked second in the most rushing yards.
Prior to the 2009 CFL season
, Cates underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder and had been considered questionable to start the 2009 Saskatchewan Roughriders season
.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who is currently a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
football club in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
College career
Cates attended California University of PennsylvaniaCalifornia University of Pennsylvania
California University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in California, Pennsylvania, USA. Founded in 1852, it is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Cal U's enrollment is approximately 9,400.The main campus consists of about 38 buildings situated on 92 acres...
and graduated in 2001 without ever missing a game in his four-year career. He had 5,647 total yards, a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. The conference is composed of 16 full-time members within Pennsylvania and one associate member in New York...
(PSAC) record, on 937 carries, 63 rushing touchdowns and 386 total points, all school records. He was an All-American for the last two years of his college career and he led the PSAC in rushing for three of his four seasons. Cates was also the PSAC-West Offensive Player of the Year in 2001 and he led the PSAC in rushing for three seasons. He was a PSAC-West first team All-Star selection for three years and he was also nominated for the Harlon Hill Award for best player in division 2 in his sophomore and senior seasons. A 1999 and 2001 All-American, Cates was drafted into the university's Athletic Hall of Fame in his first eligible year.
CFL career
Cates made his CFL debut in 2006 after signing a contract with the Calgary StampedersCalgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
. He dressed for 17 of the Stampeders' 18 regular season games, but he did not get much playing time. He finished the season with only 25 rushing attempts for 181 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching 21 passes for 286 yards and one touchdown.
Just before the 2007 season began, Cates was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Cates immediately turned into a fan favourite and a hero to many with his speed and determination. He ran for 866 yards on 153 carries, caught 45 passes for 452 yards and scored five touchdowns. During the 2007 playoffs, Cates rushed for 128 yards on 25 attempts with a broken foot and he helped the Saskatchewan Roughriders win the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
Championship.
In 2008, Cates rushed for 1229 yards, amassed 451 receiving yards and scored 16 touchdowns. He earned a spot on the CFL All-Star team for his accomplishments and ranked second in the most rushing yards.
Prior to the 2009 CFL season
2009 CFL season
The 2009 CFL season was the 56th season of modern professional Canadian football. Officially, it was the 52nd season of the Canadian Football League. The Montreal Alouettes won the 97th Grey Cup on November 29 with a last second 28–27 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders...
, Cates underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder and had been considered questionable to start the 2009 Saskatchewan Roughriders season
2009 Saskatchewan Roughriders season
The 2009 Saskatchewan Roughriders season was the 52nd season for the team in the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders attempted to win their 4th Grey Cup championship but lost to the Alouettes in the Grey Cup final....
.
Transactions
- 2006 – Signed as a free agent by the Calgary Stampeders
- 2007 – Traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders for Rob LazeoRob LazeoRobert "Rob" Lazeo is a retired professional Canadian football offensive lineman who spent 14 seasons playing in the Canadian Football League. He spent the last four years of his career with the Calgary Stampeders where he won the 96th Grey Cup in the Stampeders' 2008 season...
and a conditional draft pick
Career statistics
| Rushing | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Games | No. | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Games | No. | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | ||
| 2006 2006 CFL season -2006 Rogers CFL Awards:* CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Geroy Simon , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions... |
CGY 2006 Calgary Stampeders season The 2006 Calgary Stampeders finished 2nd place in the West division with a 10–8–0 record. They appeared in the West Semi-Final where they lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.-CFL Draft:-Preseason:-Season schedule:-Roster:-West Semi-Final:... |
17 | 25 | 181 | 7.2 | 64 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2007 2007 CFL season The 2007 CFL season was the 54th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 50th season of the league, and many special events were held to commemorate the event. Regular-season play began on June 28, 2007 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario and concluded on... |
SSK 2007 Saskatchewan Roughriders season The 2007 Saskatchewan Roughriders finished in 2nd place in the West division with a 12–6–0 record, which was their highest finish since 1988 when they also finished 2nd... |
14 | 152 | 866 | 5.7 | 49 | 5 | 2 | 25 | 128 | 5.1 | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2008 2008 CFL season The 2008 CFL season was the 55th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 51st season for the league. It was also the first CFL season in which all of the league's regular season and post-season games, including the Grey Cup game, were aired on TSN. This meant the CFL... |
SSK 2008 Saskatchewan Roughriders season The 2008 Saskatchewan Roughriders finished in 2nd place in the West division with a 12–6 record for the second consecutive year. It was their 51st season in the Canadian Football League... |
15 | 216 | 1229 | 5.7 | 49 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 23 | 2.6 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2009 2009 CFL season The 2009 CFL season was the 56th season of modern professional Canadian football. Officially, it was the 52nd season of the Canadian Football League. The Montreal Alouettes won the 97th Grey Cup on November 29 with a last second 28–27 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders... |
SSK 2009 Saskatchewan Roughriders season The 2009 Saskatchewan Roughriders season was the 52nd season for the team in the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders attempted to win their 4th Grey Cup championship but lost to the Alouettes in the Grey Cup final.... |
16 | 195 | 932 | 4.8 | 37 | 5 | 2 | 27 | 148 | 5.5 | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2010 2010 CFL season The 2010 CFL season is the 57th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it is the 53rd season of the league. Edmonton is scheduled to host the 98th Grey Cup on November 28... |
SSK 2010 Saskatchewan Roughriders season The 2010 Saskatchewan Roughriders season was the 53rd season for the team in the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders attempted to win their 4th Grey Cup championship, but they lost to the Montreal Alouettes... |
18 | 203 | 1054 | 5.2 | 83 | 15 | 3 | 37 | 208 | 5.6 | 24 | 3 | ||
| 2011 2011 CFL season The 2011 CFL season was the 58th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 54th season of the league. The complete schedule was released on February 18 and featured the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes opening the season against the visiting BC Lions on... |
SSK 2011 Saskatchewan Roughriders season The 2011 Saskatchewan Roughriders season is the 54th season for the team in the Canadian Football League. The Roughriders finished 4th place in the West division with a 5–13 record and were eliminated from the playoffs after a loss to the BC Lions on October 16, 2011... |
14 | 138 | 680 | 4.9 | 32 | 4 | ||||||||
| CFL totals Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football.... |
94 | 930 | 4,942 | 5.3 | 83 | 43 | 9 | 98 | 507 | 5.2 | 24 | 3 | |||