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Weston Dressler

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Weston Dressler
Dressler with the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Born: (1985-06-14) June 14, 1985 (age 39)
Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.
Career information
StatusRetired
CFL statusAmerican
Position(s)Slotback
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight168 lb (76 kg)
CollegeNorth Dakota
High schoolBismarck (ND)
Career history
As player
2008–2013Saskatchewan Roughriders
2014Kansas City Chiefs*
2014–2015Saskatchewan Roughriders
2016–2018Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star2012, 2013
CFL West All-Star2009, 2011–2013
Career stats
Games played161
Receptions715
Receiving Yards10,026
Touchdowns61

Weston Dressler (born June 14, 1985) is an American former professional Canadian football slotback who played for 11 years in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He spent the majority of his career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders with whom he won a Grey Cup championship in 2013. Dressler is a two-time CFL All-Star and a four-time CFL West All-Star and was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie in 2008. He had also been a member of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL). He played college football for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux.

Early years

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Dressler was born in Bismarck, North Dakota to Rick and Val Dressler.[1][2] 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.[2] On March 23, 2009, his Bismarck high school retired his jersey (#2).[3]

He has two brothers, Travis and Ryan. His younger brother, Ryan, played wide receiver at The University of North Dakota from 2006 to 2010.[1]

College career

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As a senior, he caught 75 passes for 1,274 receiving yards while being named to the North Central Conference's all-star team for the fourth season in a row.[4] After four seasons at the University of North Dakota, Dressler set 19 school records.[5]

Professional career

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Saskatchewan Roughriders

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Dressler went undrafted in the 2008 NFL draft and signed as a street free agent with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on May 13, 2008.[1][5] After the Roughriders named their final cuts, Dressler was one of five rookies to make the final team.[6] 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.[7] On July 14, Dressler suffered a hamstring injury that forced him out of the lineup.[8] 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.[9] On November 5, it became official and Dressler was nominated for rookie of the year.[10] Dressler later won the award over Hamilton's Prechae Rodriguez.[11][12] 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.[13]

Ensuring that there would be no sophomore slump, Weston Dressler had the most receiving yards in a game in his young career when he caught 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.[14] On Oct. 10, 2009, Dressler's season came 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 1,000 yards.[15]

In the ensuing four seasons, Dressler's receptions exceeded the 1000 yard mark every year. In 2013, Dressler was a CFL All Star and won the 101st Grey Cup. On January 30, 2014, Dressler was released from the Saskatchewan Roughriders so he could sign with a National Football League team.

Kansas City Chiefs

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On February 5, 2014, Dressler signed a futures contract with the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.[16] He was waived on August 25.[17]

Saskatchewan Roughriders

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On August 27, after clearing NFL waivers,[18] Dressler was offered contracts from the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Calgary Stampeders[19] and Ottawa Redblacks.[20] The offer from the Stampeders was reportedly worth just under $200,000 CAD per year,[21] while the offer from the Redblacks was worth $250,000 - which would have made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the CFL[22] - though Redblacks General Manager Marcel Desjardins declined to confirm these reports.[23] However, on August 28 Dressler instead agreed to a contract with the Roughriders[24] that is reputedly worth a pro-rated $200,000 CAD for one year, sizeably less than the Redblacks offer.[25]

In his return to Saskatchewan on August 31, 2014, Dressler had three receptions for 28 yards in a 35-30 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Labour Day Classic. During the Banjo Bowl against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Dressler returned a punt for a touchdown, his second of his CFL career. On September 21, 2014, Dressler recorded 125 receiving yards in a win over the Ottawa Redblacks, a game where he returned another punt for a touchdown. Dressler tied the all-time number one record (CFL and NFL) for the most two point conversions caught in a single game by one player at two in a 31-24 loss to the Calgary Stampeders on October 3, 2014. He wound up playing in the final 9 games of the 2014 season and the Riders lone playoff game. On January 30, 2015, Dressler re-signed with the Roughriders, agreeing to a new 4-year contract extension.[26]

On January 16, 2016, the Roughriders released Dressler.[27]

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

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On January 26, 2016, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced that they had signed Dressler to a two-year deal through the 2017 CFL season. In his first year with the Bombers he played in 16 games, and broke the 1,000 receiving yard plateau for the sixth time in his career. In 2017 Dressler played in 11 games, caught 51 passes for 691 yards with three touchdowns. Dressler played the first half of the 2018 season before being placed on the six-game injured reserve with a lower-body injury.[28] On October 26, 2018, he caught a pass that put him over the 10,000 receiving-yard mark, becoming the 17th player in league history to accomplish that feat.[29] Dressler was notified prior to the 2019 CFL free agency period that he will not be offered a contract with the organization, making him a free agent after three seasons with the team.[30]

Dressler was announced as a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame 2024 class on May 3, 2024.[31]

Statistics

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Receiving   Regular season   Playoffs
Year Team Games No. Yards Avg Long TD Games No. Yards Avg Long TD
2008 SSK 15 56 1,123 20.1 67 6 1 5 93 18.6 40 0
2009 SSK 14 62 941 15.2 52 4 0 0 0 0 0 0
2010 SSK 17 81 1,189 14.7 77 6 3 13 174 13.4 75 2
2011 SSK 18 79 1,061 13.4 75 5 Team did not qualify
2012 SSK 17 94 1,206 12.8 78 14 1 6 153 25.5 58 0
2013 SSK 17 70 1,011 14.4 45 9 3 16 240 15.0 37 4
2014 SSK 9 27 320 11.9 60 1 1 4 35 8.8 17 0
2015 SSK 16 70 941 13.4 79 6 Team did not qualify
2016 WPG 14 80 1,003 12.5 50 2 1 3 98 32.7 60 0
2017 WPG 11 51 691 13.5 87 3 1 9 114 12.7 20 2
2018 WPG 13 45 535 11.9 37 5 2 6 63 10.5 26 0
CFL totals 161 715 10,026 14.0 87 61 13 62 970 15.6 75 8

References

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  1. ^ a b c "#7 Weston Dressler". Saskatchewan Roughriders. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "#18 Weston Dressler". University of North Dakota. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  3. ^ "Weston's Jersey Retired". KXMBTV Bismarck. March 23, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  4. ^ "Dressler hopes speed earns him a spot". The Regina Leader-Post. Canada.com. June 4, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Riders sign two import receivers". The Regina Leader-Post. Canada.com. May 13, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  6. ^ "Roughriders announce roster moves". The Regina Leader-Post. Canada.com. June 23, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  7. ^ "Riders get returns on their investment". The Regina Leader-Post. Canada.com. July 10, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  8. ^ "Berman replaces an injured Dressler". The Regina Leader-Post. Canada.com. July 16, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  9. ^ "Top rookies squaring off". The Regina Leader-Post. Canada.com. October 18, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  10. ^ "Roughriders' Makowsky, Dressler best in the West". The Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Canada.com. November 5, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  11. ^ "Montreal QB Calvillo wins CFL's outstanding player award". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 20, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  12. ^ "Peterson hauls in top Canadian distinction". The Vancouver Sun. Canada.com. November 21, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  13. ^ "The Molson Cup". riderville.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  14. ^ "Alouettes continue to roll". CBC Sports. August 22, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2009.
  15. ^ "Injured Saskatchewan Roughriders slotback Weston Dressler dealing with life on the sidelines". Regina Leader Post. October 13, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  16. ^ "Chiefs sign former Rider Dressler to futures contract". tsn.ca. The Canadian Press. February 5, 2014. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  17. ^ "Chiefs Announce Roster Moves". Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  18. ^ "CFL announces Weston Dressler has cleared NFL waivers".
  19. ^ @calgaryherald (August 28, 2014). "Weston Dressler returns to the Roughriders" (Tweet). Retrieved March 14, 2023 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "Ottawa Redblacks make offer to Weston Dressler".
  21. ^ Madani, Arash (August 27, 2014). "Have learned the Calgary Stampeders are now in on the Weston Dressler sweepstakes, quietly making an offer that is just shy of $200,000 #CFL".
  22. ^ "Dressler signs with Green Riders". Ottawa Sun.
  23. ^ "Dressler offered $250k from Ottawa". Ottawa Sun.
  24. ^ "Riders Sign Receiver Weston Dressler". August 28, 2014.
  25. ^ "Former CFL star Dressler returning to Riders - Sportsnet.ca".
  26. ^ "Fan favourite Dressler signs four-year extension with Roughriders". TSN. January 30, 2015.
  27. ^ "Roughriders release veterans Chick, Dressler". Sportsnet. January 14, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  28. ^ "Bombers place Dressler on six-game IL - TSN.ca". TSN. August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  29. ^ "Nichols, Bombers down Stamps to clinch playoff spot". October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  30. ^ "Steinberg's MMQB: Actions speak louder than words". CFL.ca. March 25, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  31. ^ "Green, Owens, Dressler highlight 2024 CFHOF class of 2024". Canadian Football League. May 3, 2024.
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