The Calgary Stampeders are welcoming a new face to their secondary as they prepare for the Stampede Bowl on Thursday night. Defensive back Benjamin Sapp III has been brought in to fill the halfback position, stepping in for the injured Jaydon Grant, who has been ruled out with an ankle injury sustained during last Saturday's victory over the BC Lions.
Sapp's Experience and Readiness
Sapp, a 26-year-old native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, brings a wealth of experience to the Stampeders. Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 200 pounds, he has played in both the CFL and NFL. He won the Grey Cup with the Saskatchewan Roughriders last season, joining them in August and playing multiple positions in the secondary.
"I won the Grey Cup with Saskatchewan last year, and this was a similar situation," Sapp told reporters. "It just happened a little bit sooner here — Saskatchewan called me in August, and then they jumped me in, and I played every position out there, and I did my thing. So now I'm just trying to bring that same energy for Calgary — and I'm ready to go."
Sapp's debut with the Stampeders comes after he celebrated his birthday during the team's Week 4 win over the Lions. "Oh … it was exciting, and it was my birthday, too, on Saturday," Sapp recalled. "I told the group chat, 'Hey, man, I need a pick — somebody give me a pick for my birthday. And my boy Zy (Alexander) got one, and we got the dub, so it was all good. That's all I needed right there."
Coaching Staff's Confidence
Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson expressed confidence in Sapp's abilities, noting that the competition for the starting halfback position was close. "Where Benny's got the leg up is his experience in the CFL, and he's played in the NFL," Dickenson said. "It was a really close competition (to decide the starter), but we — as a coaching staff — felt like Benny gives us the best chance. One thing I know about him, he competes extremely hard. He's a tackler, he's physical, and he can also help us on special teams, so it's not necessarily you've got to be in there playing half. We are confident in our other halfbacks."
The Stampeders currently hold a 1-2 record and are looking to build momentum after their 41-33 victory over the Lions. The team is eager to see Sapp contribute immediately against the Toronto Argonauts, who enter the game with a 2-1 record and have been surprising opponents this season.
What the Argonauts Bring
The Argonauts have turned heads with their strong start to the season, and the Stampeders will need to be prepared for a tough matchup. The game is set for Thursday, July 3, 2025, at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, with kickoff at 7 p.m. MT. The contest will be broadcast on TSN5 and QR Calgary 770 AM.
