For most people when they think of “Shake and Bake”, their first thought is chicken seasoning or some famous lines in the movie Talladega Nights. But in Saskatchewan, when you mention “Shake and Bake”, wide receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker is on the minds of the Roughriders fanbase.
Earlier this week, the Canadian wide receiver and the Roughriders agreed to a two-year contract extension that will keep Schaffer-Baker in Saskatchewan through the 2025 Canadian Football League (CFL) season.
He said on Friday that the offer from the Roughriders was too good to pass up on.
“Originally the thought was just waiting to free agency and seeing where things went from there. The team came with an offer that was hard to pass up on, my agent had been working hard to get something done.”
Schaffer-Baker added that Saskatchewan is a place where he wanted to be.
“This is just where I love to be, playing in front of Saskatchewan and Rider Nation, there’s no better place to be.”
The off-season has been an eventful one the Roughriders top receiver in 2022. Following the conclusion of the CFL regular season, Schaffer-Baker worked out with nine teams from the National Football League. He said the experience of trying out for the NFL was a valuable one.
“The main thing was being a sponge out there, soaking everything up and learning everything from all of the coaches, personnel and just taking back every little bit of critique that have and applying it to my game.”
Even though Schaffer-Baker has committed himself to the Roughriders for the next three seasons, he says the dream of playing the NFL is still very much alive.
“It’s a marathon, it’s seeing things a long distance perspective and keeping your vision alive, just knowing something worthwhile doesn’t happen overnight and every single day you got to lay that brick down, it’s not just putting one brick down, it’s how perfect you can lay each down day-by-day and eventually you look back you got a brick wall laying in front of you.”
There will be a delay to the 2023 campaign for Schaffer-Baker as he recovers from hip surgery. The former Guelph Gryphon gives credit to new Athletic Therapist Greg Mayer and the rest of the team’s training staff in helping him with his recovery.
He adds the injury was the result of some wear and tear that began in 2020.
Schaffer-Baker felt now was the right time to get the surgery instead of missing time earlier in his career.
“If I did get surgery that means I would’ve missed either my first or second season, I just put that in the back of my mind and again I was doing whatever to help the team win.”
The Roughriders have stated this winter they’re embracing for the receiver to miss the opening 6-9 games of the year.
When Schaffer-Baker eventually returns to the Roughriders locker room this summer, he will find a lot of new faces within the wide receivers group. Saskatchewan revamped the unit with the signings of players including Jake Wieneke, Shawn Bane Jr., Derel Walker and Juwan Brescacin.
Despite only turning 25-years-old in two weeks, Schaffer-Baker is already looking to taking on a leadership role among the receivers.
“That’s something I look more to step up more into this year, not only just leading myself to greatness, but leading my teammates and all those around me to greatness.”
One of the newest receivers in Saskatchewan that’s a familiar face to the Mississauga product is Brescacin. Schaffer-Baker have known each other since he was in high-school while Brescacin was in college. The two have spent extensive time together training together and Schaffer-Baker is looking forward to reuniting with him in Saskatchewan.
Last season, Schaffer-Baker almost reached the 1,000 receiving yard mark as he finished the year with 960 yards and 68 receptions and five touchdowns.
