Harris looks forward to Riders' `fresh start'
New coach, players have entire team excited to perform for the fans, QB says
Trevor Harris is counting down the days.
With CFL training camps set to open May 12, the Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback is looking forward to getting back on the field after missing the final 13 games of the 2023 season.
“It's really getting real now,” Harris told reporters on Thursday during a virtual media availability. “Once you start counting down the days and you're under a month before you leave, it's like `we're here, here we go.'”
The 37-year-old — who turns 38 on May 31 — will be entering his second season as the starting quarterback for the Roughriders after signing with the team during free agency in 2023.
Last year, the veteran pivot — who has been in the league since 2012 — helped the team get off to a 3-1 start before suffering a tibial plateau fracture in his right knee against the Stampeders on July 15.
After undergoing surgery, Harris spent the rest of the year recovering and watching his team finish out of the playoffs with a 6-12 record, before finally feeling fully healthy around Christmas.
Since then, he hasn't had to think about the injury and has enjoyed a somewhat regular off-season after doctors originally told him it would be 8-10 months of recovery.
“Right around that five-month mark was that time (of a full recovery),” said the 6-foot-3, 212-pound Harris. “I was really pleased with that because that gave me an entire off-season of being able to work and work on things that I wanted to work on. Kinda just been an off-season of full speed as opposed to thinking about the injury.”
While Harris is excited to hit the ground running in May himself, he's also excited to work with the new pieces signed this off-season by general manager Jeremy O'day. The most notable names include running back A.J. Ouellette and offensive tackle Jermarcus Hardrick.
“I think they've done a tremendous job and I think they 've stepped up and made a stance to say that we're going all-in this year,” Harris said of the Riders management. “I think they've done a good job doing their homework and making sure we're bringing in the right kind of guys as well as the talented guys.
“I think we're technically adding myself as well. So, I'm excited to see how all these pieces kind of fit together.”
Along with working with new offensive co-ordinator Marc Mueller and learning a new playbook for the 2024 season, Harris is looking forward to meshing with Corey Mace, who replaces Craig Dickenson as the team's head coach.
“He's been great,” Harris said of Mace, who is just six months older than the quarterback. “Just his energy, vision and just his acumen for football and what we're going through and what was needed to be done to fix the issues that I feel like we had last year.
“It feels like a fresh start; it doesn't feel like a brand-new team,” Harris added. “When you change leadership, a lot of things change in terms of your team values, your team mantra, the way you go about things.
“I think there's a breath of fresh air — not to say that coach Dickie wasn't a good coach himself — but it just seems like there's a new feeling amongst the organization.
“It's really excited myself; it's really excited the guys that I've been talking to and I think the fans can really get excited about the team this year and really get behind (us).”
And Harris said part of his motivation this year is to not let the fans down again this year after two straight years of missing the playoffs, even though he has played just five games with the team during that span.
“Just seeing what the fan base has gone through these last few years, they're part of our family,” said Harris. “We're a communityowned team, so we're owned by the fans.
“And if you've got unhappy ownership, that's not a good thing.
“I want them to be stinkin' proud of their team. I want them to be happy with the product on the field as well as the product off the field the way that we treat our fans.”