Collaros has something to prove
New Roughriders quarterback looks to resurrect career after losing 12 straight starts in Hamilton
Zach Collaros’s interaction with the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ other quarterbacks has been short but productive.
Collaros has spent limited time with holdovers Brandon Bridge, Marquise Williams and David Watford since being acquired from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Jan. 3 for a second-round pick (10th overall) in the 2018 CFL draft. However, Collaros already has a familiarity with his new teammates.
“I’ve got to know them a bit over the last couple of months,’’ Collaros said during a recent conference call with CFL media. “It’s weird being the oldest guy in the room and it’s the first time for that. They’re all good guys and we like to talk about the NBA and they’re pretty knowledgeable about the game of football.
“I’m excited to be able to pass some wisdom about the CFL game down to these guys and hear their perspectives, as well. I’ve only been able to interact with them for a few days, but it’s been a really good time.’’
There have been some opportunities for the quarterbacks to interact in person. In March, they were in South Pittsburg, Tenn. — the hometown of Chris Jones, the Riders’ head coach and general manager — for meetings. They were all together for the Riders’ mini-camp on April 24-25 in Bradenton, Fla.
The foursome will convene again next weekend when the Riders’ main training camp begins in Saskatoon.
Collaros, for one, heads to training camp with something to prove after struggling through the 2016 and 2017 seasons with the Tiger-Cats.
He lost 12 consecutive games, one shy of the league record, before being replaced as the starter by Jeremiah Masoli.
“In pro football you have to prove yourself every practice, every rep and every game,” Collaros said. “I’ve always had that mentality and that’s not going to change.”
The Riders are hoping Collaros returns to the form he showed 2015, when he was the leading candidate for CFL most outstanding player honours before suffering a season-ending knee injury against the Jones-coached Edmonton Eskimos.
“There are definitely things I could take from my time in Hamilton that I learned from, whether it was positive or negative, and hopefully will be able to use in my time in Saskatchewan,” Collaros said.
“I’m definitely excited for the new situation. Anytime you’re thrown into something like that, something that’s outside your comfort zone, you become a better person and player.”
Jones sounds confident that Collaros will bounce back in 2018.
“Zach’s a very good player, there’s absolutely no doubt about it,” Jones said. “I’m from a small town and I know what it’s like to come up with a lot of expectations and the scrutiny you get from the time you’re a young kid, basically, playing high school football and he had to endure that in Steubenville, Ohio, I can assure you.
“We won 10 ball games last year and Brandon Bridge was a big part why. With that being said, I feel very strong about the quarterback position.”
Collaros feels he’s stepping into a strong situation in Saskatchewan because the Riders already boast a deep and talented group of veteran receivers.
“We have great players everywhere,’’ he said. “As the quarterback, you’re the point guard, you’re distributing the football. If I can do that efficiently and accurately, I like our chances in a lot of games.”