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Tobi Antigha’s conversion from receiver to a Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end had as much to do with good luck as good scouting.

Antigha was taking part in a free-agent camp in December as a receiver and the Riders didn’t have any defensive linemen to rush their offensive line prospects. Chris Jones, the Riders’ head coach and general manager, then asked some of the receivers and defensive backs to fill in along the defensive line.

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“I put (Antigha) on the defensive line and he was a natural,’’ Jones said. “We put him there just to see if he could grow into what we thought a defensive lineman could be.’’

Antigha may have had the moves to play defensive end, but he didn’t have the size. Jones asked Antigha to add more weight to his 6-foot-2 frame.

Antigha then focussed on gaining the 30 to 35 pounds he needed before joining the Riders in late April at their mini-camp in Vero Beach, Fla.

“The biggest thing was keeping my athleticism with the weight,’’ Antigha said. “When I originally put on some weight at the end, I was athletic but I wasn’t as fluid as I wanted to be. Then I really committed to playing defensive end. I made the conscious effort to keep all of my athleticism while still gaining strength and size and getting faster.”