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Jon Ryan has only been with the Saskatchewan Roughriders for a short time but he does have the benefit of a long memory.

The 37-year-old Regina product has vivid recollections of his past experiences at the Labour Day Classic, including the 2004 and 2005 CFL seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before he migrated to the NFL.

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In some ways, it feels like yesterday.

“It does and it doesn’t,” said Ryan, who signed with his home-town Riders this year following 12 seasons in the NFL. “Someone was just asking me if I was looking forward to playing in my first Labour Day Classic (on Sunday). I said it actually is my third. It’s just my first time on this side of the field. It does feel like a while ago but I have great memories playing in it the first time in ‘04 and ‘05. I’m looking forward to it a lot more playing on this side.”

Ryan was only 22 years old — fresh out of the University of Regina — when he made his Labour Day debut on Sept. 5, 2004 at old Mosaic Stadium.