WINNIPEG — Picton and Picton, once a potent pass-catch combination with the University of Regina Rams, connected once again on Saturday morning.
Legendary Rams quarterback Noah Picton was quick to reach out to his cousin Mitch, a receiver with the CFL West Division-champion Saskatchewan Roughriders, one day before the 112th Grey Cup Game.
“When Noah saw the depth chart, he texted me and said, ‘I’m hitting Highway 1 tomorrow,’ ” a choked-up Mitch Picton said during a Saturday media availability at Princess Auto Stadium.
The Regina-born Picton, who was drafted by the Roughriders in 2017, will be the team’s sixth receiver on Sunday against the Montreal Alouettes.
“It’s pretty cool to see someone you deeply care about live out their dream,” Noah Picton said from Regina on Saturday.
“I don’t think I have the vocabulary to properly convey how proud and excited I am for him.”
That said, he proceeded to eloquently and passionately reminisce about Mitch’s gridiron journey.
“We were talking earlier this week about how neat it was that this is where his football life has ultimately led him to,” Noah said.
“Over the last few days, I kept thinking back to the younger version of Mitch — Number 36 on the atom Bears — and thinking about what our reaction would be if someone had told him he’d one day be playing in the Grey Cup while wearing a Saskatchewan Roughrider jersey.
“Mitch is a guy who went out and achieved a dream through hard work and dedication.”
In 64 career regular-season games, Mitch has caught 96 passes for 1,081 yards and six touchdowns.
He had 20 catches for 226 yards in 14 regular-season appearances in 2025 — including a career-high seven receptions against the visiting Calgary Stampeders on July 12.
Derek and Cheryl Picton’s 30-year-old son was a healthy scratch for the receiver-rich Roughriders in the Western Final, but injuries to American pass-catchers KeeSean Johnson (knee) and Joe Robustelli (head) triggered a chain of events that elevated Mitch to the active roster.
“He has earned the right to be in this position,” Noah said, “and our entire family is extremely proud of all that he’s accomplished throughout his career.”
The only change to the starting receiving corps from last week involves the reactivation of Ajou Ajou, who has recovered from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the Western Final.
“To just be in a Grey Cup and represent this logo, it means everything,” Ajou said with a smile.
The front-line receiving corps will also include Samuel Emilus, Dohnte Meyers, Kian Schaffer-Baker and Tommy Nield. Meyers is the lone American in the group.
In the post Second World War era, Saskatchewan has previously started only one American receiver in the Grey Cup games of 1951 (Jack Nix), 1976 (Rhett Dawson) and 2009 (Gerran Walker).
In 1976, Ohio-born Tom Campana (ordinarily a receiver) dressed for the game as the designated import and saw second-half duty as a running back after starter Molly McGee suffered a rib injury.
Most recently, the numbers game has worked in Mitch’s favour.
The numbers were stratospheric when Picton and Picton played for the Rams.
In 2016, Noah Picton won the Hec Crighton Trophy as the most outstanding player in Canadian university football.
Eleven of his 25 touchdown passes were caught by Mitch, who had 58 receptions for 834 yards in eight games.
Mitch followed up in 2017 with 53 catches for 761 yards and eight scores. In addition to spending his graduating season with the Rams, he was on the Roughriders’ practice roster.
“I feel very lucky to have gotten to witness his career from the very beginning — first through the eyes of his quarterback for 15-plus years, then as a fan for the past seven, and now from Section 110 on Sunday,” Noah said.
Picton-to-Picton was particularly potent in the 2012 Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association 4A championship game. Noah threw five TD passes, including three to Mitch, as the LeBoldus Golden Suns defeated the Saskatoon Holy Cross Crusaders 41-16.
The following year at historic Mosaic Stadium, the Roughriders downed the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 45-23 in the 101st Grey Cup Game.
Saskatchewan is poised to make its first Grey Cup appearance since 2013, when Geroy Simon scored the Roughriders’ first touchdown and finished the game with two majors.
In the 1989 league final, Saskatchewan’s opening major was also registered by a future Canadian Football Hall of Famer who wore a No. 81 jersey — Ray Elgaard.
A good omen for No. 81, Mitch Picton, perhaps?
“I definitely remember that (2013) game fondly,” he said. “I was actually at that game. It was my rookie year playing at the U of R.
“Obviously, it was a fantastic outcome and a good showing by the Riders. It was exciting seeing how the city and the whole province get behind the team like that.
“It was cool to see. I have a little bit of experience with that. Now, seeing the support we get from the entire province and all of Rider Nation has been pretty incredible.
“Hopefully we can go out there and repeat that outcome tomorrow.”
Win or lose, there will be a substantial Picton cheering section at the game.
“I think about our family making sacrifices for us,” Mitch said before pausing to compose himself.
“They’re always there. They’ve travelled all over the country to watch me play football. My parents, my brother (Aaron), my wife (Kaylee) … they’re all very special to me.
“It’s going to be cool. There’s going to be a lot of Picton jerseys — a lot of 81 — out there in the stands tomorrow. It’s something I’m very excited for … very thankful for.”
