Cofield’s feet will be held to fire

REGINA Takoby Cofield’s CFL baptism under fire continues on Monday.

As a first-year starting left offensive tackle with the Roughriders, Cofield is called upon to protect the quarterback’s blind side against some of the league’s top defensive ends.

Cofield faces another defensive test when the Edmonton Eskimos visit the Riders on Thanksgiving Day. Edmonton defensive end Kwaku Boateng is tied for third in the CFL with eight of Edmonton’s 36 sacks.

“(Boateng) has been having a heck of a year,” Cofield said in advance of Monday ’s game. “I’ve heard different things about him coming off the edge so I do have my work cut out for me, as I do for each game. I’m going to try to give him a bunch of different things to deal with and maybe he’ll see something that he isn’t used to playing against.”

Cofield took over as the Riders starting left tackle on Aug. 19 after spending seven games on the practice roster. He has performed admirably since being added to the active roster. So have the Riders, who won six of seven games over that stretch.

Cofield credits his progress to practising regularly against defensive ends Charleston Hughes and Willie Jefferson. Hughes leads the CFL with 14 sacks and Jefferson has eight.

“They are two of the best in the league,” said Cofield, a 26-yearold native of Tarboro, N.C. “They have played in this league for a lot of years and they ’ve had a lot of success. I see them in practice and I get to work on different stuff. They know the different tools and things to go to. I’m using them as a resource to learn from them, continue to grow and go in there with a plan.”