With the CFL season just a few months away, Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris has no doubt he will be ready for opening day.
Last season Harris missed most of the year with a significant knee injury. When asked about how his knee was feeling, he answered with a joke, “I don’t remember a knee injury from last year.”
The injury happened in the fourth quarter of a game against Calgary just five weeks into the season. The tibial plateau fracture ended up sending him home for the rest of the year.
“I’m just doing maintenance now,” Harris said. “I think I could’ve played in a game, probably maybe the West Final, but I would’ve been about 70 per cent. I don’t know if I could’ve helped the team.”
After Harris’ injury, the team slowly began to crumble and ended up loosing their final seven games, missing the playoffs entirely.
The lack of success brought some big changes to the coaching staff and team, including a new head coach in Corey Mace and offensive coordinator with Marc Meuller.
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“I think they’ve (the front office) done a tremendous job, and I think they’ve stepped up and made a stance to say ‘we’re going all in this year,’” Harris said.
He also noted the team would have some increased firepower on offense with the addition of running back A.J Oullette and offensive lineman Jemarcus Hardrick.
Harris is entering his twelfth season in the CFL but says he continues to learn something every offseason.
“I always think, ‘I’m ready to be a coach now,’ and then I go through an offseason, and I learn more than I ever thought I could in an offseason,” Harris said. “This year has been really enlightening and, just been really getting really excited.”
As for his schedule before football kicks off this summer, Harris said he spends most of his time hitting the weight room, getting reps in throwing and then he finishes his day with his favourite job, being a dad.
That family commitment is, however, part of the reason Harris is taking every season one at a time. At 37 years-old, Harris said he hasn’t discussed a contract extension with the Riders and went on to say his family will always be his top priority. But that doesn’t mean he plans on hanging up the cleats yet.
“I think I could play into my 40s, if I wanted to. But I think it just comes one-year-at-time. You’ve got to assess: is this the best thing for my family?” Harris explained. “My wife, my kids and following Jesus are the most important things I do in my life and I want to make sure I’m putting that at the forefront.”
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