There haven’t been many bright spots to the Ottawa Reblacks’ 2021 season, but one of their top players has officially entered the CFL record books.
With a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown to open the second half against the Toronto Argonauts, DeVonte Dedmon has surpassed the legendary Gizmo Williams as the fastest player to ever score five return touchdowns in their CFL career. The Giz required 18 games to achieve the feat in 1987. Demon did it in 15.
Give him an inch, he’ll take 100 yards!
DeVonte Dedmon (@DeVonte_Dedmon) shows turns on the jets for a spectacular opening to the second half.#CFL | #RNation
pic.twitter.com/tnonh1pzbp— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) November 6, 2021
Williams went on the score a CFL record 31 combined return touchdowns, including 26 on punt returns, over 14 season with Edmonton. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2006 after setting 20 different CFL records in his career.
Dedmon, who signed a one-year contract extension with Ottawa earlier this week, began his CFL career in Ottawa partway through the 2019 CFL season. The 25-year old product of William & Mary had returned 41 punts for 637 yards and two touchdowns while also returning 41 kick-offs for 1,011 yards in nine games this season prior to Saturday.
The native of Williamsburg, Virginia shares his alma mater with another legendary CFL returner Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons.
The record-setting return wasn’t enough to give the Redblacks their third win of the season however, as Ottawa squander a lead late to fall 23-20 to the Argonauts.
