Royce Metchie
{{short description|Canadian gridiron football player (born 1996)}}
{{Infobox CFL biography
|name=Royce Metchie
|team=Edmonton Elks
|image=File:2024, 09, Royce Metchie.jpg
|image_upright=1
|caption=Metchie with the Toronto Argonauts in 2024
|status=Active
|import=no
|position1=Defensive back
|number=9
|CIS=Guelph
|career_highlights=
|high_school=
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1996|9|11}}
|birth_place=Lagos, Nigeria
|Height_ft=5
|Height_in=11
|Weight_lbs=203
|CFLDraftedYear=2018
|CFLDraftedRound=3
|CFLDraftedPick=25
|CFLDraftedTeam=Calgary Stampeders
|playing_years1={{CFL Year|2018|2021}}
|playing_team1=Calgary Stampeders
|playing_years2={{CFL Year|2022|2024}}
|playing_team2=Toronto Argonauts
|playing_years3={{CFL Year|2025}}–present
|playing_team3=Edmonton Elks
|CFL=royce-metchie/164117/
}}
Royce Metchie ({{IPAc-en|m|ɛ|ˈ|tʃ|i:|eɪ}} {{respell|MET|chee|ay}};{{cite web|url=https://www.argonauts.ca/2024/05/16/hogan-whats-in-a-name/|title=Hogan: What’s in a Name?|publisher=argonauts.ca|first=Mike|last=Hogan|date=May 16, 2024|access-date=January 17, 2025}} born September 11, 1996) is a Nigerian-Canadian professional football defensive back for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a two-time CFL All-Star and a three-time Grey Cup champion after winning with the Calgary Stampeders in 2018 and with the Argonauts in 2022 and 2024.
University career
Professional career
=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.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2018/05/14/stampeders-sign-entire-2018-draft-class/|title=Stampeders sign entire 2018 draft class|publisher=cfl.ca|date=May 14, 2018}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-CFL-Guide-Book.pdf |title=2024 CFL Guide |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=August 12, 2024}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.stampeders.com/2019/09/04/the-young-padawan/|title=The young padawan|publisher=stampeders.ca|date=September 4, 2019}} He recorded his first career CFL interception during the Labour Day Classic on September 2, 2019, against the Edmonton Eskimos.{{cite web|title=Mitchell leads Stamps past Esks in Labour Day Classic|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2019/09/02/mitchell-leads-stamps-past-esks-labour-day-classic/|publisher=cfl.ca|date=September 2, 2019}} 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.{{cite web|title=Stamps, Metchie agree to extension |url=https://www.cfl.ca/2021/01/18/stamps-metchie-agree-extension/ |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=January 18, 2021}}
He signed a contract extension with the Stampeders on January 18, 2021. He played in seven games in 2021 where he had 31 defensive tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble.
=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.{{cite web|title=Argos, Stamps swap Canadian talent |url=https://www.cfl.ca/2022/02/04/argos-stamps-swap-canadian-talent/ |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=February 4, 2022}} He played in 17 regular season games where he had 72 defensive tackles and two interceptions.{{cite web|title=Royce Metchie |url=https://www.argonauts.ca/players/royce-metchie/164117/ |publisher=Toronto Argonauts |access-date=February 4, 2023}} 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.
On February 3, 2023, it was announced that Metchie had signed a two-year contract extension with the Argonauts.{{cite web|title=Argos bring back DB Royce Metchie |url=https://www.argonauts.ca/2023/02/03/argos-bring-back-db-royce-metchie/ |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=February 3, 2023}} On June 25, 2023, he scored his first career touchdown when he intercepted Jarret Doege and returned the ball 15 yards for the score.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/6317/edmonton-elks-vs-toronto-argonauts/ |title=Edmonton Elks vs Toronto Argonauts |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=August 12, 2024}} 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. He also played in the East Final where he had five defensive tackles and one pass knockdown in the loss to the Montreal Alouettes.
In the 2024 season, Metchie played and started in all 18 regular season games where he recorded a career-high 87 defensive tackles to go along with one interception, two pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.{{cite web|url=https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024-GN-Gm-95-Wpg-vs-Tor-GC111-1.pdf |title=111th Grey Cup notes |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=November 30, 2024}} He started in all three post-season games, including the 111th Grey Cup where he had three defensive tackles in the Argonauts' 41–24 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.{{Cite news |url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/6486/winnipeg-blue%20bombers-vs-toronto-argonauts/#playbyplay |title=Play-by-Play, 111th Grey Cup |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=November 17, 2024}}
=Edmonton Elks=
The Edmonton Elks announced they signed Metchie through free agency on February 11, 2025.{{cite web | url=https://www.goelks.com/2025/02/11/transactions-elks-ink-six-players-on-opening-day-of-cfl-free-agency/| title=TRANSACTIONS: Elks ink six players on opening day of CFL free agency | publisher=goelks.com| date=February 11, 2025 | accessdate=February 11, 2025}}
CFL career statistics
=Regular season=
| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="0" width="65%" style="text-align:center" | |||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="2" | ! rowspan="101" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="9" | Defence | |||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year !! Team !! {{Tooltip|GP|Games played}} !! {{Tooltip|GS|Games started}} !! {{Tooltip|DT|Defensive tackles}} !! {{Tooltip|STT|Special teams tackles}} !! {{Tooltip|QS|Quarterback sacks}} !! {{Tooltip|Int|Interceptions}} !! {{Tooltip|FF|Forced fumbles}} !! {{Tooltip|FR|Fumble recoveries}} !! {{Tooltip|TD|Touchdowns}} | |||||||||
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2018 | CGY
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | CGY
| 17 | 17 | 48 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2020 | CGY
| colspan="9"| Season cancelled | ||||||||
| 2021 | CGY
| 7 | 7 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2022 | TOR
| 17 | 17 | 72 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | TOR
| 18 | 18 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2024 | TOR
| 18 | 18 | 87 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="2" | CFL totals ! 84 !! 77 !! 310 !! 13 !! 0 !! 7 !! 5 !! 4 !! 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.{{Cite web|url=https://andscape.com/features/john-metchie-iiis-route-to-alabama-began-in-taiwan-before-moves-to-ghana-and-canada/|title=John Metchie III’s route to Alabama began in Taiwan, before moves to Ghana and Canada|first=Lukas|last=Weese|date=January 11, 2021}} 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.{{cite web|title=Stampeders' Royce Metchie knew his younger brother John was special a long time ago|url=https://calgarysun.com/sports/stampeders-royce-metchie-knew-his-younger-brother-john-was-special-a-long-time-ago|publisher=Calgary Sun|date=November 12, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/nfl/nfl-john-metchie-drafted-2nd-round-texans-nfl-draft-2022-1.6436760|publisher=CBC|date=April 29, 2022|title=Texans trade up for Canada's John Metchie III in 2nd round of NFL draft}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://www.argonauts.ca/players/royce-metchie/164117/ Toronto Argonauts bio]
- {{commonscatinline}}
{{Edmonton Elks roster navbox}}
{{106th Grey Cup}}
{{109th Grey Cup}}
{{111th Grey Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Metchie, Royce}}
Category:Calgary Stampeders players
Category:Canadian football defensive backs
Category:Canadian sportspeople of Nigerian descent
Category:Canadian people of Taiwanese descent
Category:Guelph Gryphons football players
Category:Nigerian players of Canadian football
Category:Nigerian emigrants to Canada
Category:Players of Canadian football from Brampton