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Gettman had a three-day tryout with the Edmonton Elks in 2023, but when that didn’t pan out, he realized it was time to get on with life.

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“It was always my passion to play football, it didn’t matter what league,” he said. “I was actually working a job in sales (selling Milwaukee and Ryobi power tools) when I got a random phone call one day from my agent. He’s like, ‘Hey, you still want to play football? I said, ‘Yeah, because this is not fun, what I’m doing now.’ He’s like, ‘You want to go play in Canada and play football in Ottawa? ‘ I said, yeah, let’s do it. So that’s pretty much the story. I’m glad I’m here.”

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Gettman, who had a 40.6-yard average in 12 games for the Akron Zips, debuted for the Redblacks last season when veteran punter Richie Leone left the team to attend his mother’s funeral.

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Gettman punted six times for an average of 50.8 yards, which included a 66-yarder in the 26-18 loss to the Blue Bombers.

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When the Redblacks decided to release Leone after seven seasons,  Gettman won the job at camp.

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“Compared to the U.S., the field is so much bigger, so I’ve really got to focus on punting the ball with good direction, outside the numbers, good hang time, and good distance too,” he said. “It’s a little bit of a change, I feel like I’m hitting the ball well right now, so I just got to keep it up.”

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How bad was the injury to Bennett Williams?

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Dinwiddie confirmed that Williams, the team’s starting weak-side halfback, will have season-ending surgery for an Achilles injury suffered in the third quarter on Friday.

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Williams is second on the team in total tackles with 17, including 12 on defence and five on special teams.

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“It’s tough, feel bad for him,” said Dinwiddie. “He’s been working his butt off, doing the right things. If we had more guys who work like he does, we’d obviously be a better football club right now.”

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Dinwiddie said the team hopes to get slotback Keelan White, who missed the Roughriders game with an ankle injury, back to practice on Tuesday.

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Also being monitored is an unspecified injury to wide receiver/return specialist Kalil Pimpleton.

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“We’ve got some guys who are dinged,” said Dinwiddie, whose team will face the Elks in Edmonton on Thursday. “(Tuesday) is probably gonna be the day when we’ll have some more answers.”

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How’s McLeod Bethel-Thompson progressing?

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The veteran quarterback, who joined the Redblacks last Wednesday, has “looked good,” to Dinwiddie.

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“He’s just mainly (working) scout team reps,” said the coach. “It’s a short week, so it’s tough to get him in there. We got him some live reps today with the (first team), and the ball is coming off his hand. He obviously understands the system, and he’s in great shape. So we wouldn’t bat an eye to play him.”

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Does that mean starter Jake Maier will be on a short leash as the Redblacks search for their first win in Edmonton?

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“I wouldn’t say short leash,” said Dinwiddie. “We’ve got to start winning ball games, and if I feel like it’s the quarterback play that is costing us, we’ll make that switch. I think Jake has some plays he wants back in any game, but I think we’re making it too hard on the quarterback a bit, because we’re not doing the other little things. We’re making him make some very tough throws, throwing those balls in tight windows, and he’s making those throws. We’ve just got to find ways to be more consistent there.”

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Why did the Redblacks sign MBT off the free-agent stockpile just in time?

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Had they waited until this week, they might have had to bid for his services with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who appear to have lost star QB Bo Levi Mitchell, who had ankle surgery on Monday and is likely done for the season.

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Maier said it was “gut-wrenching” to watch Mitchell taken off the field Sunday night by an ambulance.

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“That’s a tragedy in my mind,” said Maier, who has reached out to Mitchell via text. “He’s a good friend, I consider him like family. I love his family, and you just feel for them; you pray that they have the strength to get through it as a family. Yeah, it’s gut-wrenching. It’s hard to see. It’s something that I know he’s definitely built for. I just wish him the best.”

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