David Gbenda’s surname is routinely mispronounced. But there is no mistaking his impact when he suits up for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“He flies around,” Head Coach Corey Mace said, “and he’s coming from the University of Texas, so you know he probably played a little bit of football.”
A member of the University of Texas Longhorns from 2019 to 2024, Gbenda — pronounced “Benda” — attended training camp with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans last year before signing with Saskatchewan on March 31.
The 6-foot-0, 235-pound linebacker is averaging one special teams tackle per game to begin his CFL career. He also has two defensive tackles for a 4-2 Saskatchewan team that is to face the 6-1 Edmonton Elks on Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium.
“I’m thankful to be here, honestly, every day,” Gbenda said. “The guys have welcomed me with open arms. They’ve been helpful every step of the way.”
Gbenda’s parents, Tamba and June, were welcomed to the United States in 1996 after emigrating from Sierra Leone.
David, their first child, was born on Dec. 12, 2000 in Katy, Texas — part of the Greater Houston Metropolitan Area. He subsequently celebrated the arrivals of his younger sisters, Matilda and Madison.
Introduced to football at Cinco Ranch High School, Gbenda was a two-way standout. In addition to excelling on defence, he ran for five touchdowns as a senior.
“It was my first real chance at playing football, so I just took it and ran with it,” he recalled. “Whatever my team needed, I was going to do.
“At the time, they needed me to play running back. They needed me to be on special teams. So whatever they needed, I did.”
And it was noticed. He received roughly 25 scholarship offers from FBS schools before opting to remain in his home state and join the Longhorns.
A Saskatchewan connection entered Gbenda’s life in 2021 when Steve Sarkisian was named the long-time NCAA powerhouse’s Head Coach.
Sarkisian was a Roughriders quarterback from 1997 to 1999. In the latter season, he threw a touchdown pass to two current members of the Green and White.
Sarkisian found veteran slotback Dan Farthing for a five-yard score against the visiting Toronto Argonauts on July 30, 1999 — 27 years ago today. Farthing is now the Roughriders’ Head of Strength and Conditioning.
The 20th (and final) touchdown pass of Sarkisian’s playing career was caught by Jeremy O’Day for a seven-yard major versus the host B.C. Lions on Nov. 5, 1999.
Coincidentally, it was O’Day — the Roughriders’ Vice-President of Football Operations and General Manager — https://www.riderville.com/2025/11/14/a-rookie-and-a-vette-riders-gm-jeremy-oday-reflects-on-introduction-to-cfl/who signed Gbenda to his first CFL contract.
“I didn’t know (Sarkisian) threw a touchdown pass to O’Day,” the easygoing Gbenda said with a smile. “I’ll have to go talk to him about that one.”
Talking about Gbenda is a pleasure for Mace, who was instantly impressed with the newcomer when Coors Light Training Camp commenced in Saskatoon.
“If you watch him play, you would assume he’s maybe somebody that you don’t want to sit down with because of how mean he plays,” the Roughriders’ field boss said.
“But, man, he has one of the greatest auras in the locker room. He’s such a great kid and there’s everything that he brings to us as far as a football player.”
As Gbenda continues to make a name for himself in the CFL, the frequency of the mispronunciations should decrease.
“Ever since kindergarten, very few people have gotten it right,” he noted, “but when they do, hey, it’s OK.”
