The Saskatchewan Roughriders finally welcomed in their first overall pick on Monday as offensive lineman Josiah St. John made his debut at Riders’ practice, ending his holdout.

St. John missed all of training camp and the preseason, as well as the first two weeks of the regular season as his representatives and the Riders’ front office went back and forth on contract offers.

The six-foot-five, 309-pounder reached a deal with the Riders late last week and hit the field with his teammates on Monday at Mosaic Stadium.

“Definitely excited,” said St. John.  “A great group of guys in the locker room, coaching staff is amazing, really committed to winning, it reminds me  of college, just the attitude around here, it’s going to be a really good year for us.”

After getting drafted by the Riders with the first overall pick in the 2016 CFL Draft at the start of May, St. John sat at home with no deal being reached between him and the team.

He said he started to get the itch to get back on the field.

“I said that we need to get something worked out because this has gone on a little too long and I’m just happy that everything got hashed out and I’m here now,” said St. John.

“It was weird seeing everybody else playing football, my old college team is back working out and they’re in preseason and I was just home doing my workouts here and there, so I got eager and the itch, just watching on TV I was thinking that I want to be there so bad, I’m just happy to be here now though.”

Following last Thursday’s season-opening 30-17 loss to the Toronto Argonauts, head coach and general manager Chris Jones confirmed the St. John signing and felt that he looked to be in better shape now than he was at the draft.

However, Jones didn’t give a hind of when St. John could see the field for the Riders.

“There’s no doubt about it, he’s at a good starting point,” said Jones.  “We watched him there after practice going against some very good players and he’s doing some good things.

“He’s a rookie and he’s being asked to go learn a playbook, a professional playbook for the first time… We’re going to take it slow with and when he’s ready to play, he’ll play.”

St. John said that he’s ready to go whenever called upon.

“It’s all up to the coaching staff, whenever they feel like I’m ready to play, I’ll play,” he said.  “I’m not going to be out here complaining, I’m going to do what I can to contribute to the team whether that’s being a back-up or doing stuff on defence to give the offence a look.  

“I want to be an addition to the team instead of a headache right now.”

The Riders are preparing for a trip to Edmonton, they’ll face the Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday night at 8 p.m.