Running back Tre Mason did not play during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He got to the Saskatchewan Roughriders' training camp after it had started. And in his one preseason game, he had one rushing attempt for 14 yards and returned four kickoffs for 90 yards on Friday.

Despite the obstacles, the former Auburn standout will open the Canadian Football League season with the Roughriders.

CFL teams had to reduce their training-camp rosters to the regular-season limit of 46 players on Sunday. The CFL season kicks off on Thursday night.

Mason is one of the 15 players with Alabama football roots who'll be beginning the season in Canada. He's one of five from Auburn, along with CFL teammate Nick Marshall, a quarterback for the Tigers but a cornerback for Saskatchewan; Winnipeg Blue Bombers wide receiver Darvin Adams, Edmonton Eskimos slotback Duke Williams and Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive back Demond Washington.

Mason was one of four international running backs brought in by Saskatchewan during training camp. The Roughriders kept Mason, put former Bibb County High School standout Zac Stacy on the practice roster and released David Cobb, who had NFL experience with the Tennessee Titans, and Storm Johnson.

Former Alabama standout Trent Richardson did not report for training camp and is on the Roughriders' suspended list after playing four games with Saskatchewan last season.

Jerome Messam and Marcus Thigpen were expected to be Saskatchewan's top two running backs this season. But Thigpen is going to miss the first two games after testing positive for a banned substance, and Roughriders coach Chris Jones said Messam, coming off his third 1,000-yard season, would not be overworked.

"He's 33 years old, and he plays running back," Jones said.

The Roughriders kick off their 2018 season against the Toronto Argonauts on Friday night.

Players from Alabama high schools and colleges who are on CFL active rosters and practice rosters include:

British Columbia Lions: Otha Foster III, defensive back, West Alabama; Ty Long, punter/place-kicker, UAB.

Calgary Stampeders: Maleki Harris, linebacker, Cordova, South Alabama; Cordarro Law, defensive lineman, Sumter County; Ucambre Williams, center, Central-Phenix City, South Alabama.

Edmonton Eskimos: D'haquille "Duke" Williams, slotback, Auburn.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats: Demond Washington, defensive back, Tallassee, Auburn.

Montreal Alouettes: None.

Ottawa Redblacks: Practice roster: Armando Bonheur, offensive lineman, Samford.

Saskatchewan Roughriders: Brandon Bridge, quarterback, South Alabama; Christion Jones, wide receiver, Minor, Alabama; Nick Marshall, defensive back, Auburn; Tre Mason, running back, Auburn. Practice roster: Zac Stacy, running back, Bibb County.

Toronto Argonauts: Qudarius Ford, defensive back, South Alabama; TJ Heath, defensive back, Alexandria, Jacksonville State; Bear Woods, linebacker, Troy. Practice roster: Brandon Burks, running back, Daleville, Troy.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers: Darvin Adams, wide receiver, Auburn.

Among the players released this weekend to reach the roster limit were defensive lineman Chris Casher (Faith Academy, Faulkner) by the Blue Bombers and defensive back Maurice Carnell (North Alabama) and defensive end Xzavier Dickson (Alabama) by the Argonauts.

According to CFL rules, each team's 46-player roster must include three quarterbacks, and of the remaining 43 players, at least 21 must be Canadian players.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.