As the old saying goes, the Canadian Football League season doesn’t really begin until Labour Day.
The theory being that when you hit this time of the campaign, teams should have settled into who they are and what they’re capable of, with the contenders and also-rans generally pretty well defined.
That time of the year is only a handful of days away, and you can mark down Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris as a big fan of the annual Labour Day Classic against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Harris spoke to the media after practice on Wednesday afternoon and talked about the importance of the game, in addition to how it brings up some fond memories.
“Something that is really cool for me to drive into the stadium that day and here's not an empty seat in the house,” Harris said. “I remember growing up, my parents would have us wake up at 4.30 or 5 in the morning, and we'd drive down to Columbus, and we'd tailgate for Ohio State games. It's sort of that feel, that vibe, and that sort of energy
“The fans do a tremendous job of letting us know that this is when the real season kicks off, when playoff football starts, and you've really got to start playing your best. So we really look forward to this one, it's going to be a fun battle, really excited about it.”
Making this edition of the Classic a touch more important is just how close the standings are in the West Division. Saskatchewan holds a 7-4 record and are a win back of the Edmonton Elks for first place and a win ahead of the Blue Bombers and Calgary Stampeders in third place.
Harris pointed out that even if they’re coming off a victory, the two setbacks prior have heightened the sense of urgency and need to continue to find the win column.
“We've got to gear down and make sure we're playing our best football,” he said. “That's what I'm focused on, making sure we have great energy, execution and being in attack mode each and every day of practice”
The Labour Day Classic also marks the 12th game of the season for most teams, meaning they’re a third of the way through the campaign. Even if players have escaped injury, the wear-and-tear is still there, and keeping healthy as possible the rest of the way can be key to a team’s success.
Easier said that done in some cases, of course, but that’s all part of playing at a professional level.
“(You have to) make sure you're still continuing, making strides, getting better every day but, you know, sticking to your routine of rehabbing your body, prehabbing your body and keeping your body strong,” Harris said. “This is where a lot of times the aches and pains can catch up with you, the body starts getting a little bit tired and maybe the mind's a little tired. So it's time to really lock in, kick into overdrive and make sure that we're playing our best football.”
The game will also likely feature another personal milestone for Harris, as he needs only 127 yards passing to tie Doug Flutie for 10th all-time in career passing yardage. Reaching those lofty heights and finding himself in such company leaves the 14-year veteran in awe.
“Whenever you hear a name like that and you're like, wow, I might be able to pass that guy, it's insane,” Harris said. “It's something I'm truly grateful for.”
The Labour Day Classic is set for Sunday at 5 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.
