Saskatchewan Roughriders release DB Eddie Heckard

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have released American defensive back Eddie Heckard.

The 26-year-old made the team’s practice roster out of training camp and remained there until his release, not seeing any regular-season action.

The five-foot-ten, 190-pound native of Las Vegas, Nev. made 47 total tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, three forced fumbles, six pass breakups, five interceptions, and one touchdown during his senior season at Brigham Young University (BYU).

Heckard started his collegiate career at Weber State University where he made 215 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks, six forced fumbles, 38 pass deflections, and seven interceptions over 49 career games, starting 42. He was a four-time All-Big Sky honouree, including three first-team selections.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (7-1) will host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-3) at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, August 16 with kickoff slated for 3:00 p.m. EDT. The Tiger-Cats had their six-game winning streak snapped by the B.C. Lions this past week, while the Roughriders were on a bye.

The weather forecast in Regina calls for a high of 22 degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and CTV in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on the Ticats Audio Network in Hamilton and 620 CKRM in Regina.