Atlee Simon was back in a familiar spot on Tuesday.

The former Regina Rams running back was at Mosaic Stadium after the Saskatchewan Roughriders placed him on the practice roster.

Simon, who is the Rams all=time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns, has been out of football since being cut by the Calgary Stampeders in training camp. He had been drafted by them in the 2018 CFL draft.

Simon says the call did admittedly catch him off guard.

“Its been a while. This is the longest I have gone without playing football.” Simon told reporters after Riders practice on Tuesday. ” The call came out of the blue. I was just getting ready to start my internship at school. I was excited and even more so because its my hometown. I’m just looking at this as an opportunity to get my foot in the door.

Riders head coach Craig Dickenson says Simon was a guy he has had interest in and not just because he is a hometown boy.

“We just want to see him. We liked him coming out of the draft and we want to see what he looked like,” Dickenson said. “The best way to do that is to get him on your team and watch him in person. If he shows he can contribute to this team, there’s a good chance we will bring him back.”

Simon’s arrival in the Rider dressing room means the amount of Rams alumni with the team is five as he joins Jon Ryan, Brendon LaBatte, Jorgen Hus and Mitch Picton.