'Diversity in everything': Neal Hughes represents Roughriders in CFL diversity campaign

Fans of the Saskatchewan Roughriders may have noticed something a bit different on thesidelines recently.

Instead of the usual black attire, Riders head coach and general manager Chris Jones and his staff have been sporting green T-shirts that say "Diversity IsStrength."

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Players on the sideline who aren't suiting up for the game are wearing the tops as well.

The fashion change is part of a CFL campaign to promote diversity in the league.

Each team in the league has a shirt featuring their team colour and the campaign slogan, along with the name and number of an ambassador.

Former Roughrider Neal Hughes is Saskatchewan's ambassador.

"It's just bringing awareness that this game of football is a great example of how diversity can be strength when everybody comes together and works towards a goal," said Regina-born Hughes, who was with the Riders from 2004 to 2014.

"Once you put the helmet and shoulder pads on, you step on that field, you're all on the same team and you'reall working towards one goal, and that's winning a football game."

He said being an ambassador is an opportunity to show youth that they should be proud of where they come from.

Hughes, who won two Grey Cup championships with the Roughriders, says he didn't know he was Mtis as a kid.

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"I hung around with my family and there was a lot of visibly Aboriginal people in my family, so that's just what I knew," he said.

"Everybody treated everybody with respect."

He said he grew up around a tightly knit family atmosphere where he learned about his heritage.

"That's part of Mtisculture it's family. They had to stick together," he said."The more education I received, the prouder I became of where I came from."

However, there has been some backlash duringthe campaign,mostly on social media.

Although it's a select few, some are saying the campaign is politically motivated and politics shouldn't mix with football.

The "Diversity Is Strength" campaign was originally unveiled by the Canadian Football League last summer. The campaign was rolled out ahead of schedulein response to riots and racial violence inCharlottesville,Va.

"As long as there's a good attitude about everything, I don't think politics has anything to do with it," said Hughes.

"When you're in a locker room there's lots of diversity, especially here in Canada," he said. "There's a lot of diversity in everything."

"This game of football is a great example of how diversity can be strength."

With files from CBC Radio's The Morning Edition