After five CFL seasons in Ottawa and four days at Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp, global linebacker Tyron Vrede was happy to lean into his new club’s sense of stability.
“Obviously I was in Ottawa and there was a lot of turnover,” Vrede said in an interview after practice Wednesday at Saskatoon’s Griffiths Stadium.
“There was not a lot of times that we had a lot of the same guys for a long time, whether it be coaching staff, GM or head coach and I think that’s probably the biggest difference here is you feel like there’s been something in place for a long time. It’s been building … and I think that would probably be the biggest difference.”
Vrede, born and raised in the Netherlands, signed with the Roughriders as a free agent in February after recording 41 defensive tackles, 35 more on special teams, one sack and one forced fumble over 55 games with the Ottawa RedBlacks.
Not too bad for a guy who played soccer as a child and was first introduced to the North American version of football with the Madden 2000 video game.
“I got introduced to the game by a friend of mine and at the same time my mom’s friend bought me Madden (on) the Playstation,” said Vrede. “I didn’t know what the game really was and I started playing it and really liked it and simultaneously started playing at the local club and I … always wanted to go to the (United) States and I was like what better way to do it than with American football.”
Fast forward a few years of carrying baggage at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and bouncing around the American college system before landing at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, plus his time in Ottawa, and Vrede is looking forward to the competition for a starting role in Saskatchewan.
“I think the biggest thing is it’s just a really together team,” he said. “Obviously a lot of the guys came back from last year. Really competitive too. We like to compete here and just (have) a really good bond, and guys going hard. We’re all trying to do our best and make the team and make the team a better place because we’re in it.
“I really, really like the guys in the room that we have in the linebacker room and everybody else. The coaching staff is honest about competing, making sure we’re in with the details and the small things. It’s been good.”
