Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp is underway and franchise legend Darian Durant wants young players to be bold while trying to make a CFL team.
"I don't think I'm the best guy to ask for advice, I'll tell you why it's not a good idea. Every guy will get a playbook, most guys come in and say: 'I will follow this playbook, I'm going to do everything my coach tells me.' Sometimes that's just not the right way to go about it. Sometimes going out on a limb, trying to make a play, make yourself be seen and be a guy that a coach says: 'You know what? We need this guy; he's a playmaker,'" Durant explained to the SportsCage.
"How I would approach it is, if I knew I had a deep route, even though it wasn't my primary read, if I knew I had a good match-up, in a situation where I could make a play, I'm going to take that deep route, even though it may not be in my progression, because you have to show coaches your ability to recognize the entire field. That's one and then two, you have to be able to make plays when you get the opportunity. Sometimes you don't need to follow the playbook step by step. You have to go out there and try to make a play."
Riders broadcast network colour analyst and former defensive lineman, Luc Mullinder approved Durant's idea, especially during one play at training camp.
"In the last team drill, they tried setting up a screen, but what happened was the screen got broken up. On the backside of that screen, there was a long, deep route," Mullinder told the SportsCage. "The first thing I thought, what Doubles said, I was like, man, if I was that QB, I would have screwed the screen — I would have thrown the deep ball."
The Riders have been more physical at training camp with pads on for practice, which was a favourite time for Durant when he played.
"It's easy for anyone to go out there with shorts and a jersey on and be able to make plays, but you separate the men from the boys with the pads," Durant detailed. "This is when you start getting the real football smell in the locker room. Everything is all about the energy you feel when the pads go on. This is the most exciting time for me, and I'm sure for a lot of the guys, especially the ones who are trying to find a spot on the roster. It's all about what you do when the pads go on."
During Durant's playing career, he had a clear favourite food when training camp was at the University of Saskatchewan versus when it was at the University of Regina.
"One thing I can say about Saskatoon is that the food is amazing. I remember the camps in Regina at U of R, I hate to say this, but the food was horrible," Durant said. "At the U of S, the way they structure things and have everything laid out, the breakfast bars, the dinner, and everything was amazing. You're going to get some good food in Saskatoon, but in Regina, it was the complete opposite."
