Durant ready to bid farewell to old Mosaic
Darian Durant appreciates the bitter and the sweet of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ final game at old Mosaic Stadium.
Some of the greatest accomplishments of the quarterback’s 10-year CFL career have taken place at the facility. But Durant, like others in the organization, also endured less-than-ideal conditions at the Riders’ traditional home.
Durant discussed his thoughts on the good and bad of the old stadium while talking with reporters in advance of Saturday’s game against the visiting B.C. Lions.
“We’re looking forward to going to that new place (in 2017),” said Durant, whose image appears on the west side of the stadium. “No one wants to sit in meeting rooms where there’s a water leak and you have a big pail beside you. It’s just not a professional environment.
“I’m thankful for everything that has happened here and the ability to be on the stadium with all of the past Rider legends. It’s an amazing accomplishment. Everyone who has been here for a while is ready for a new change.”
Durant first drove to Mosaic Stadium in 2006. Like most young men, he was unsure what he was getting into and wondered about the facilities. He learned Mosaic Stadium wasn’t up to the standards of Division I colleges in the United States, but the facility grew on him.
“When you look at it, you don’t think you can get 30,000, 35,000 people in there, but once everyone gets together and that place gets going, it’s the loudest place I’ve ever been a part of,” the 34-yearold Durant said. “The fans here, they’re what make the stadium go — not necessarily the building itself. It’s about the people who sit in those seats who make it special, who make the atmosphere special to play in, and who give us that home-field advantage.”
One of Durant’s career highlights was his first start at Mosaic Stadium — his second start as a professional — on July 19, 2008. The Riders beat the Montreal Alouettes 41-33 and Durant threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns.
The stadium also played host to the 2013 Grey Cup game, in which the Riders beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 45-23. It was the franchise’s fourth Grey Cup.
In 2009 — Durant’s first year as the team’s full-time starting quarterback — the Riders played host to the West Division final for the first time in 33 years. They beat the Calgary Stampeders 27-17 to advance to the Grey Cup game.
“I think about that as far as how far we had come,” Durant said. “We were such a young team at the time and for us to be able to pull that off and win such a historic game, for me that’s one of the bigger ones as well.”
Saturday’s game would have more significance if the Riders were in the playoff chase. They carry a 5-11-0 record into the game against the Lions (10-6-0).
Durant feels a win would mean a great deal to the older fans in the crowd. It’s also important for the Riders to get a victory after losing 19-14 to the Alouettes on Saturday.
“First and foremost, it’s for our momentum going forward,” Durant said. “We’re just coming off a tough loss, so we want to make sure that we can get that bad taste out of our mouths. It’ll also help the momentum going into the off-season, so it’s a very important game.” NOTES: Tailback Joe McKnight may be on the roster Saturday. McKnight suffered a head injury against Montreal. Riders head coach Chris Jones said McKnight continues to improve under the CFL’s concussion protocol and hasn’t ruled out the running back … The status of linebackers Greg Jones and Jeff Knox Jr., is doubtful for Saturday’s game.