Darrell Davis: CFL’s global backups-to-the-backups

I don’t watch and chart every CFL play, so I have a question: How are those global players doing?

What I’ve seen, from nine rows behind the visitors’ bench at Mosaic Stadium, the players imported this year from Mexico and Europe never get into a game. Some of them are third-string kickers, backup-to-the-backup wide receivers and generally somebody in a uniform, looking for someone to talk with on the sidelines. Then lo and behold, Thiadric Hansen did what virtually everyone has done this season: He hit B.C. Lions quarterback Mike Reilly. The hit forced a fumble, but Hansen didn’t get credit for a quarterback sack.

Hansen is a defensive lineman, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ global player. He was pressed into duty when starter Craig Roh was injured. I can’t say with certainty that it’s the first impactful contribution yet from a global player, but it might be. Each CFL team has to dress and pay a global player for every game, but unless they get to participate this is nothing more than a publicity stunt.