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Among current CFL players, Jon Ryan is uniquely qualified to kick back in time to the inaugural Banjo Bowl.

Ryan, a 37-year-old punter with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, was a rookie with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers when the first banjo-based bash was held on Sept. 12, 2004.

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The Blue Bombers, with Kevin Glenn at quarterback, outlasted Saskatchewan 27-24. The Roughriders’ lone touchdown was on a four-yard pass from Henry Burris to Travis Moore, the latter of whom is now the Green and White’s receivers coach.

As for Ryan, he averaged a booming 52.7 yards per punt.

An unforgettable game, no?

“Actually, I remember very little,” Ryan said with a chuckle on Wednesday. “I remember my first Labour Day game, but I don’t really remember that Banjo Bowl.”

The lead-up, however, is ingrained in his memory.

“I was telling these guys (on the Roughriders) what the Banjo Bowl was (about),” said Ryan, looking ahead to Saturday’s 16th annual Banjo Bowl. “None of them even have a clue about the origins of it, with Troy Westwood — tongue-in-cheek, obviously — talking badly about Saskatchewan people and then coming back later on with the fake apology.”