You don’t reach the point in a football career Trevor Harris is at without being one heck of a competitor.
That means putting in all the time and effort in the world into improving your game and then putting that hard work to good use when you hit the field. It also means you want to be out there with your teammates regardless of the situation.
So when head coach Corey Mace decided earlier this week that the Riders Most Outstanding Player candidate would be resting for the final game of the CFL regular season, it was a decision that wasn’t made lightly.
And as one might expect, Harris himself wanted nothing more than to be out there playing on Saturday afternoon against the Edmonton Elks.
“(The discussion) was ongoing, and I think that's probably why he delayed announcing it,” Harris said at practice on Thursday afternoon. “I was pleading pretty hard, and I'll be honest at this point in the season, if that happens I’m okay with it, but I had a hard time with it. I really want to play this week, flip the page.”
Season-long back-up quarterback Jack Coan will get the start against the Elks, and Harris is looking forward to seeing how he performs in his first ever career start.
“I've done my best I can to help Jack get ready to play in this game and (third-string QB Brayden) Shager get ready to play in this game and prepare as if I'm playing against Edmonton,” Harris said. “Because hopefully in a couple weeks, we will be.”
There’s little question at this point that Harris can get the job done, hence his team MOP award. The 40-year-old pivot has thrown for a career-best 5,370 yards to this point in the season — tops in the CFL — and has shown no signs of slowing down.
“I feel good,” Harris said. “I think I'm throwing the football as good as I ever have. I'd like to push it down the field a little bit more, but physically, I'm able to run the football if I need to, and I think we all saw that (last week).
“I'm going to be ready to use my legs, arm, whatever it takes to win the football games and make sure that we get to keep working together and keep playing together and go out there and do the best we can to finish this year how we want to.”
As for the honour itself, Harris is just taking it in stride, as is the case any time personal awards come his way.
“It's something that I don't take lightly, so I'm very, very thankful and grateful,” he said before pointing to KeeSean Johnson, Kian Schaffer-Baker and his entire offensive line as other worthy candidates.
“I always want to just make sure I'm doing the best I can to lead this team, be the best quarterback I can for this organization, province, and I'm honored.”
Mace wasn’t surprised in the slightest when he heard Harris would be the team’s MOP nominee.
“It’s an incredible season that he's had,” he said. “What do I tell you? Trevor's a good quarterback. I've been saying that forever. Extremely proud of that man and I know it was big for him to be able to go through the whole season healthy as well. So, all the credit deserved.”
The Rider Broadcast Network will have all the action from Saturday’s contest at Mosaic Stadium, beginning with the pre-game show at 11 a.m. Dave Thomas and Luc Mullinder will then have the game call at kickoff at 2 p.m.
