# Royce Metchie

Royce Metchie (/mɛˈtʃiːeɪ/ MET-chee-ay; 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

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

## 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. 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. 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. He recorded his first career CFL interception during the Labour Day Classic on September 2, 2019, against the Edmonton Eskimos. 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.
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. He played in 17 regular season games where he had 72 defensive tackles and two interceptions. 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. On June 25, 2023, he scored his first career touchdown when he intercepted Jarret Doege and returned the ball 15 yards for the score. 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. 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.

### Edmonton Elks

The Edmonton Elks announced they signed Metchie through free agency on February 11, 2025.

## CFL career statistics
### Regular season

| | | Defence | Defence | Defence | Defence | Defence | Defence | Defence | Defence | 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 | Season cancelled | Season cancelled | Season cancelled | Season cancelled | Season cancelled | Season cancelled | Season cancelled | 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 |
| 2024 | TOR | 18 | 18 | 87 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| CFL totals | 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. 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.