Roughriders defensive end Jefferson playing with heavy heart against Bombers
REGINA — He’ll be wearing green and white for the Labour Day Classic, but Willie Jefferson will be playing for his hometown and the state of Texas.
“If I make a big play, it’ll be for my hometown, it’ll be for Hurricane Harvey,” said the Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end, who was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, which sits approximately 135 kilometres east of Houston.
His Roughriders (4-4) host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-2) on Sunday for the 54th instalment of the prairie teams’ annual tilt, the first to be played at Regina’s new Mosaic Stadium.
Despite the day’s hype, the Texan will be playing with a heavy heart and thoughts of his home, thanks to the devastating impact of Hurricane Harvey, which was designated a tropical storm after making landfall over the Houston and Beaumont areas this past week.