Dyakowski made his mark
The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced a torrent of transactions Tuesday, releasing four players and adding 22.
The newcomers’ identities were all divulged mere minutes before the Green and White began its two-day mini-camp in that noted CFL hotbed, Bradenton, Fla.
All things considered, the biggest news of the day was the introductory on-field appearance as a Roughrider by quarterback Zach Collaros.
But far away from Florida, one name — Peter Dyakowski — was resonating with a sentimental scribe.
Dyakowski led the list of players who had abruptly become erstwhile Roughriders. His departure confirmed, yet again, the cruelty of football as a business.
Here one year, gone the next. Last year, the Roughriders opened training camp with a gaping hole at right guard.
Head coach, general manager and vice-president of football operations Chris Jones wisely addressed the void on May 27, acquiring Dyakowski from the Toronto Argonauts for receiver Armanti Edwards.
Edwards made a massive reception in the 2017 East Division final to help the Argonauts rally for a 25-21 victory over the visiting Roughriders.
But it is doubtful Saskatchewan would have reached that point if not for Dyakowski, whose arrival instantly allayed concerns about the right guard position.
The offensive line was far from perfect, as evidenced by the pressure 38-year-old quarterback Kevin Glenn (now of the Edmonton Eskimos) faced on a consistent basis during the second half of the season.
However, one can only imagine the Roughriders’ plight had they not acquired Dyakowski.
It is doubtful they would have produced a league-high 35 touchdown passes, delivered by Glenn and Brandon Bridge, if a human turnstile played right guard.
Dyakowski arrived at age 33, with a diversified resume that included his 2012 decoration as Canada’s Smartest Person (as determined by CBC).
Along with brains and brawn, Dyakowski brought unquestioned professionalism to an evolving team.
In Year 2 of the Jones regime, it was immensely beneficial to infuse a “seen it all, done it all” veteran into the equation.
If the master plan comes to fruition, and green-and-white confetti is flying at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium after the Grey Cup, the focus will understandably be on the players who made it happen on Nov. 25, 2018.
It is important to remember, though, that some players arrive at a transitory stage and set an important example.
Consider the Roughriders’ championship season of 1989. The roster did not include quarterback Joe Paopao or defensive lineman Nick Hebeler, but their influence was noted.
Paopao quarterbacked the Roughriders from 1984 to 1986. Hebeler played for Saskatchewan in 1986 and 1987 — the final two seasons of the Roughriders’ 11-year playoff drought.
While researching a non-best-selling book on the 1989 Roughriders, I chatted with a number of players who credited Paopao and Hebeler for providing a positive influence at a critical time.
They showed many of the players who sipped champagne in 1989 how to be a pro, especially when times were tough.
“Nick Hebeler had come from a real successful program in B.C.,” safety Glen Suitor recalled in
The Greatest Grey Cup Ever, a 320-pager available at a garage sale near you.
“He really didn’t contribute a ton on the field, but he contributed a lot behind the scenes. He validated what we were building.
“I remember him in huddles, when Bobby Jurasin and I were getting people sorted out, grabbing me at times and saying, ‘That’s what a leader does! That’s a good job!’”
The importance of such a player, such a presence, is not easily quantified — but it cannot be denied.
Hall of Fame defensive lineman Bill Clarke, for example, retired from football two years before the Roughriders won their first Grey Cup, in 1966. Any member of that championship team who emulated Clarke, even in a small way, was a better player and a better person.
Many members of the 2013 Roughriders had played alongside slotback Jason Clermont, who starred for B.C. before spending his final three seasons (2009 to 2011) in Saskatchewan. Clermont was an exemplary pro, on and off the field, and his teammates took notice.
That brings us back to Dyakowski, who exhibited his trademark class after his release was announced.
“Thanks to the amazing province of Saskatchewan for a great year!” Dyakowski, who spent his first nine CFL seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, wrote on Twitter.
“I had fun with the Riders & as a fan, loved seeing the CFL from the west.”
Dyakowski enjoyed that perspective for only a year, but his impact will endure.