Royce Metchie

Royce Metchie
No. 9     Toronto Argonauts
Metchie with the Toronto Argonauts in 2024
Born: (1996-09-11) September 11, 1996 (age 28)
Lagos, Nigeria
Career information
StatusActive
CFL statusNational
Position(s)Defensive back
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight200 lb (91 kg)
UniversityGuelph
CFL draft2018, round: 3, pick: 25
Drafted byCalgary Stampeders
Career history
As player
2018–2021Calgary Stampeders
2022–presentToronto Argonauts
Career highlights and awards
Career stats

Royce Metchie (born September 11, 1996) is a Nigerian-Canadian professional football defensive back for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

University career

Metchie played U Sports football for the Guelph Gryphons from 2014 to 2017.[1]

Professional career

Metchie with the Calgary Stampeders in 2019

Calgary Stampeders

Metchie was drafted by the Stampeders in the third round, 25th overall, in the 2018 CFL Draft and signed with the team on May 14, 2018.[2] He began the 2018 season on the practice roster, but was soon elevated to the active roster and played in his first game on June 28, 2018, against the Ottawa Redblacks. He dressed in seven regular season games in his rookie season and recorded five special teams tackles.[3] He was on the practice roster during the playoffs when he shared in the Stampeders' 106th Grey Cup victory.

Following the off-season departure of starting safety Tunde Adeleke and the retirement of Adam Berger, Metchie became the Stampeders' starting safety for the 2019 season.[4] He recorded his first career CFL interception during the Labour Day Classic on September 2, 2019, against the Edmonton Eskimos.[5] He played and started in 17 regular season games for the team in 2019 where he had 48 defensive tackles, seven special teams tackles, and three interceptions.[6]

He signed a contract extension with the Stampeders on January 18, 2021.[6] He played in seven games in 2021 where he had 31 defensive tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble.[3]

Toronto Argonauts

On February 4, 2022, Metchie was traded to the Toronto Argonauts in exchange for Cameron Judge as both players had contracts expiring the following week.[7] He played in 17 regular season games where he had 72 defensive tackles and two interceptions.[8] He also played in both post-season games, including the 109th Grey Cup, where he recorded three defensive tackles as he won his second Grey Cup championship in the victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.[3]

On February 3, 2023, it was announced that Metchie had signed a two-year contract extension with the Argonauts.[9] On June 25, 2023, he scored his first career touchdown when he intercepted Jarret Doege and returned the ball 15 yards for the score.[10] He played and started in all 18 regular season games where he matched his career-high of 72 defensive tackles and also had three pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one interception for a touchdown.[3] He also played in the East Final where he had five defensive tackles and one pass knockdown in the loss to the Montreal Alouettes.[3]

CFL career statistics

Regular season

  Defence
Year Team GP GS DT STT QS Int FF FR TD
2018 CGY 7 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0
2018 CGY 17 17 48 7 0 3 0 0 0
2020 CGY Season cancelled
2021 CGY 7 7 31 0 0 0 1 1 0
2022 TOR 17 17 72 1 0 2 0 0 0
2023 TOR 18 18 72 0 0 1 2 2 1
CFL totals 66 59 223 13 0 6 3 3 1

Personal life

Metchie was born in Nigeria to a Nigerian father and Taiwanese mother, and spent some time in his youth in Ghana and Taiwan before spending his childhood in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.[11] Metchie's younger brother, John Metchie III, is a wide receiver who played college football for Alabama and was drafted in the 2022 NFL draft by the Houston Texans.[12][13]

References

  1. ^ "2019 Gryphons in the CFL". gryphons.ca. June 12, 2019.
  2. ^ "Stampeders sign entire 2018 draft class". cfl.ca. May 14, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e "2024 CFL Guide" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  4. ^ "The young padawan". stampeders.ca. September 4, 2019.
  5. ^ "Mitchell leads Stamps past Esks in Labour Day Classic". cfl.ca. September 2, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Stamps, Metchie agree to extension". Canadian Football League. January 18, 2021.
  7. ^ "Argos, Stamps swap Canadian talent". Canadian Football League. February 4, 2022.
  8. ^ "Royce Metchie". Toronto Argonauts. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  9. ^ "Argos bring back DB Royce Metchie". Canadian Football League. February 3, 2023.
  10. ^ "Edmonton Elks vs Toronto Argonauts". Canadian Football League. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  11. ^ Weese, Lukas (January 11, 2021). "John Metchie III's route to Alabama began in Taiwan, before moves to Ghana and Canada".
  12. ^ "Stampeders' Royce Metchie knew his younger brother John was special a long time ago". Calgary Sun. November 12, 2020.
  13. ^ "Texans trade up for Canada's John Metchie III in 2nd round of NFL draft". CBC. April 29, 2022.