The Saskatchewan Roughriders will face the Stampeders Saturday without C-F-L sack leader Charleston Hughes after all.

       The Green and White announced Friday that Hughes has been removed from the team’s active roster and fined the maximum disciplinary amount allowed after the veteran rush end was arrested and charged October 11 with impaired driving and failing to provide a breath sample for analysis. Riders G-M and head coach Chris Jones told reporters Thursday that Hughes would play against Calgary. The 34-year-old Hughes has a C-F-L-best 15 sacks this season. The statement from the Saskatchewan Roughriders follows…

DATE:                        October 19, 2018

RELEASE TIME:       IMMEDIATELY

RELEASE:                 SR18-108

RIDERS STATEMENT REGARDING CHARLESTON HUGHES

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have announced defensive end Charleston Hughes will not play in Saturday’s game in Calgary versus the Stampeders.

The Club continued to gather as much information as possible on the incident involving Hughes and the charge against him, including his refusal to take a breathalyzer test when requested by police. That information-gathering process continued into last evening and included a thorough review of our team rules and the CFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement as they pertain to player discipline. As a result of that review, the club has made the decision to remove Hughes from the active roster. In addition, the Club has imposed the maximum disciplinary fine allowed under the CBA.

While the legal proceedings are still ongoing, the incident of October 11 reflects negatively on the Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Club. By refusing to provide a breath sample, Hughes demonstrated behaviour directly in conflict with the Club’s values and expectations – which include respecting police and police procedures.