Weston Dressler
Encyclopedia
Weston Dressler is a professional Canadian football
slotback
for the Saskatchewan Roughriders
of the Canadian Football League
. He was signed by the Roughriders as a street free agent in 2008. He played college football
for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux
.
to Rick and Val Dressler. Dressler says he started playing football in the second grade when he practiced with his older brother's midget football team. He attended Bismarck High School
. At Bismarck he was a three time all-state and all-conference selection and in 2003 was named North Dakota Gatorade High School Player of the Year. On March 23, 2009, his Bismarck high school retired his number two jersey.
's all-star team for the fourth season in a row. After four seasons at the University of North Dakota
, Dressler set 19 school records.
and signed as a street free agent with the Saskatchewan Roughriders
on May 13, 2008. After the Roughriders named their final cuts, Dressler was one of five rookies to make the final team. After two games with the Roughriders he led the league with 13 punt returns for 185 yards. However his receiving yards had been accidentally omitted by the CFL's statistical package. On July 14, Dressler suffered a hamstring injury that forced him out of the lineup. Towards the end of the season, Dressler was being considered as the leading candidate for the CFL West's nomination for rookie of the year. As of October 18, Dressler had 46 catches for 928 yards with five touchdowns including six 100+ yard games. On November 5, it became official and Dressler was nominated for rookie of the year. Dressler later won the award over Hamilton's Prechae Rodriguez
. Dressler finished the season with a team-leading 1,123 yards receiving (11th overall) and 2,219 combined yards (3rd overall). At the end of the 2008 season, he was voted the most popular player by the fans.
Ensuring that there would be no sophomore slump
, Weston Dressler had the most receiving yards in a game in his young career catching seven passes for 154 yards against the BC Lions
in the home opener. Because of his value as a receiver, the Roughrider coaching staff pulled him from the kick return game and only used him in critical situations on special teams. Ken Miller
, the Saskatchewan head coach, and Paul LaPolice
, the offensive coordinator, used many different formations in order to get Dressler the ball, from the slot back position, to wideout, to handoffs. On August 21, 2009, against the Montreal Alouettes
, Dressler caught eight passes for 179 yards, his most yards gained in a single game to date. On Oct. 10, 2009, Dressler's season would come to a close as he sustained a sprained right ankle and fractured right fibula in the closing minutes of a win over the Toronto Argonauts, halting his receiving yardage total under 1000 yards.
at The University of North Dakota from 2006-2010.
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...
slotback
Slotback
Slotback is a position in Gridiron football . The slotback is similar to the wide receiver but also has many of the same traits as a running back, lines up closer to the offensive line and often farther back...
for 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...
of 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....
. He was signed by the Roughriders as a street free agent in 2008. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux
North Dakota Fighting Sioux
The North Dakota Fighting Sioux are the athletic teams of the University of North Dakota , which is located in the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota, in the United States. The logo is a Native American figure. The logo was designed by Bennett Brien, a local artist and UND graduate of Ojibwa...
.
Early years
Dressler was born in Bismarck, North DakotaBismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
to Rick and Val Dressler. Dressler says he started playing football in the second grade when he practiced with his older brother's midget football team. He attended Bismarck High School
Bismarck High School
Bismarck High School is a public high school located in Bismarck, North Dakota. It currently serves 1,457 students and is a part of the Bismarck Public Schools system...
. At Bismarck he was a three time all-state and all-conference selection and in 2003 was named North Dakota Gatorade High School Player of the Year. On March 23, 2009, his Bismarck high school retired his number two jersey.
College career
As a senior he caught 75 passes for 1,274 receiving yards while being named to the North Central ConferenceNorth Central Conference
The North Central Conference , also known as North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was a college athletic conference which operated in the north central United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division II.-History:...
's all-star team for the fourth season in a row. After four seasons at the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
, Dressler set 19 school records.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Dressler went undrafted in the 2008 NFL Draft2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
and signed as a street free agent with 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...
on May 13, 2008. After the Roughriders named their final cuts, Dressler was one of five rookies to make the final team. After two games with the Roughriders he led the league with 13 punt returns for 185 yards. However his receiving yards had been accidentally omitted by the CFL's statistical package. On July 14, Dressler suffered a hamstring injury that forced him out of the lineup. Towards the end of the season, Dressler was being considered as the leading candidate for the CFL West's nomination for rookie of the year. As of October 18, Dressler had 46 catches for 928 yards with five touchdowns including six 100+ yard games. On November 5, it became official and Dressler was nominated for rookie of the year. Dressler later won the award over Hamilton's Prechae Rodriguez
Prechae Rodriguez
Prechae Rodriguez is a Canadian football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He was originally signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
. Dressler finished the season with a team-leading 1,123 yards receiving (11th overall) and 2,219 combined yards (3rd overall). At the end of the 2008 season, he was voted the most popular player by the fans.
Ensuring that there would be no sophomore slump
Sophomore slump
A sophomore slump or sophomore jinx refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the standards of the first effort...
, Weston Dressler had the most receiving yards in a game in his young career catching seven passes for 154 yards against the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
in the home opener. Because of his value as a receiver, the Roughrider coaching staff pulled him from the kick return game and only used him in critical situations on special teams. Ken Miller
Ken Miller (football coach)
Ken Miller is the Head Coach and Vice President of Football Operations for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He served as the Roughriders head coach between 2008 and 2010, leading the team to appearances in the Grey Cup in 2009 and 2010...
, the Saskatchewan head coach, and Paul LaPolice
Paul LaPolice
Paul LaPolice is the head coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.-Coaching career:LaPolice entered the CFL in 2000 when Toronto Argonauts head coach John Huard hired him to become the team's receivers coach...
, the offensive coordinator, used many different formations in order to get Dressler the ball, from the slot back position, to wideout, to handoffs. On August 21, 2009, against the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
, Dressler caught eight passes for 179 yards, his most yards gained in a single game to date. On Oct. 10, 2009, Dressler's season would come to a close as he sustained a sprained right ankle and fractured right fibula in the closing minutes of a win over the Toronto Argonauts, halting his receiving yardage total under 1000 yards.
Personal
He has two brothers, Travis and Ryan. His younger brother, Ryan, played wide receiverWide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
at The University of North Dakota from 2006-2010.
Statistics
| Receiving | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Games | No. | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Games | No. | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | ||
| 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 | 56 | 1,123 | 20.1 | 67 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 93 | 18.6 | 40 | 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.... |
14 | 62 | 941 | 15.2 | 52 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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... |
17 | 81 | 1,189 | 14.7 | 77 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 174 | 13.4 | 75 | 2 | ||
| 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... |
18 | 79 | 1,061 | 13.4 | 75 | 5 | Team did not qualify | |||||||
| 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.... |
64 | 278 | 4,314 | 15.5 | 77 | 21 | 4 | 18 | 267 | 14.8 | 75 | 2 | |||
| Rushing | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Games | No. | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Games | No. | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | ||
| 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 | 5 | 49 | 9.8 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 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.... |
14 | 11 | 63 | 5.7 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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... |
17 | 9 | 57 | 6.3 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | -1 | 0 | ||
| 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... |
18 | 7 | 35 | 5.0 | 19 | 1 | Team did not qualify | |||||||
| 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.... |
64 | 32 | 204 | 6.4 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | -1 | 0 | |||