The Saskatchewan Roughriders make their first trip to Montreal this season in Week 13, giving quarterback Cody Fajardo and the rest of the green and white a chance to explore that city for the first time in a couple of years.
One of the highlights of Montreal for many people is the food, specifically smoked meat sandwiches. But that’s not the case for Fajardo.
“The smoked meat, I’m not the biggest fan but I know a lot of guys are fans of the smoked meat, I have tried it before,” Fajardo said.
Roughriders' QB Cody Fajardo 'not the biggest fan' of Montreal smoked meat #Saskatchewan #Riders #Montreal #Alouettes #CFL pic.twitter.com/T4wyTCyEW2
— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) October 26, 2021
Even if he isn’t a fan of the Montreal staple, Fajardo told reporters he’s still excited to try some of the food that Montreal has to offer.
“There’s so many great food options. One of my favourite things of going on the road is eating out. I don’t eat out much when I’m here, I cook most of my meals at home so when you get to go out and experience new restaurants and new foods, it’s a lot of fun.”
As far as the city he is going to on Saturday, Fajardo says there is a certain bit of…whimsy, to it.
“Their stadium reminds me of Hogwarts or Harry Potter when you look at the buildings behind it in the backdrop, so it’s a pretty cool place to play football,” Fajardo said.
“I do know it’s an awesome city in terms of the structures, they’ve got a lot of buildings that are a little bit older and got some character to them. I know it’s a lively city where there’s a lot of people and a lot of excitement — it’s always fun to play there.”
The current coronavirus pandemic has limited what players are able to do and where they are able to go when they are on the road but the Riders QB still makes sure he checks out the cities that they visit.
“I take a game day walk, usually about two miles, two-and-a-half miles around the city wherever we are at and just get lost in the city,” Fajardo explained. “It’s a way for me to clear my head, think about the game, think about life, just think about a lot of things.”
The California-born Fajardo came to the CFL in 2015 after four years at the University of Nevada and some time with the Raiders in the NFL. He appreciates the chance to travel around the country that he now makes a living in.
“It’s just fun to be in another city to look around and be traveling and I’ve said it before, if it wasn’t for football I wouldn’t be able to see these amazing cities that Canada has to offer.”
