The 2016 season was a major disappointment for the Saskatchewan Roughriders but one of the few bright spots was the play of Naaman Roosevelt.
In his second CFL campaign, the wide receiver piled up 1,095 yards in just 11 games before suffering a season-ending leg injury.
“It was definitely frustrating but it was just motivation for the off-season. I worked as hard as I possibly could to get back and I’m feeling stronger than ever, feeling faster, so I’m just excited to get ready to go,” he said after a recent training camp practice at Saskatoon’s Griffiths Stadium.
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Prior to getting hurt, Roosevelt was on pace to break the Riders single-season receiving yards record, leading many to wonder what kind of gaudy totals he might be capable of reaching in 2017.
However, Roosevelt isn’t thinking about that right now.
“I’m going to come out here and just make plays, do what I do and help this team win. That’s the main goal is just to have us get on the winning track,” he said.
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Receivers coach Markus Howell is excited to see what Roosevelt can do over a full 18-game season.
“Sky’s the limit for Naaman. With the work ethic, with the dedication, his skill set, as long as he stays healthy he can do some good things,” Howell said.
The off-season additions of Duron Carter, Bakari Grant and Chad Owens give the Riders one of the league’s deepest receiving corps, meaning Roosevelt isn’t the only big weapon in the arsenal, but it also means the 29-year-old can be deployed all over the field.
“We can pencil him in as a guy somewhere and then move him around by game plan, so he’s able to handle that type of knowledge of the playbook and when a guy can do that, he’ll be productive,” Howell said.
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A quiet guy who lets his play do the talking, Roosevelt knows his elevated status means he needs to start speaking up more on the field, and he’s embracing the challenge.
“I definitely want to start talking more, letting the guys know when stuff goes wrong or anything’s happening, so it’s been an adjustment for me this year to be that vocal leader,” he said.
If he continues to put up big numbers, it’s a safe bet that not only will his teammates be listening, the rest of the league will be too.
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