A true home game for Riders’ Wellman

Ryan Wellman won’t be playing in front of the usual audience tonight.

“It’ll be the same family members,” the Regina product said with a smile, “but also 30,000 more people.”

Wellman has played at Mosaic Stadium as a member of the Sheldon-Williams Spartans and University of Regina Rams, but those teams don’t draw like the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Tonight, the Roughriders’ rookie defensive end is to dress for his first home preseason game with Saskatchewan, which is to face the Calgary Stampeders.

“I’m extremely excited,” said Wellman, who had family members cheering him on Friday when the Roughriders visited the Edmonton Eskimos in the teams’ pre-season opener.

“I can’t wait to come out of the tunnel and hear everybody here. It’s going to be crazy. To be on the field, I know the crowd gets really loud for the defence, so that’s going to be a great experience.”

Levi Steinhauer is expecting the same thing.

The Moose Jaw product, who also is trying to crack the Roughriders’ roster as a rookie defensive end, expects family members as well as friends from high school to make the drive in from the Friendly City. As well, friends from Saskatoon — where he attends the University of Saskatchewan — will be in the crowd.

“It’s going to be incredible,” Steinhauer said. “Last week was really fun too, being the first game, but playing at home is going to be awesome.

“I’m going to have a fair bit of family and friends

here watching, so it’s going to be nice to be able to come out at home in front of all of them and show them what you can do.”

Both of the rookies feel good about their adjustment to the CFL, but playing for the team for which they grew up cheering has added to their excitement.

Being at home is the icing on the cake.

“If I wasn’t playing in this game,” Wellman said, “I’d probably be here in the stands.”

■■■ Quarterback Darian Durant is expected to start tonight’s contest — backup Drew Willy started the game in Edmonton — and the Roughriders’ undisputed No. 1 pivot wants to play as much as he can.

“Hopefully most of the first half,” Durant said. “That will allow us to get into a good rhythm and we’ll see what happens after halftime.

“I would like to come out after then too. I just have to talk to (the coaches) once we get inside and we’ll see.”

Roughriders head coach Corey Chamblin said he would like to see Durant “play at a good level” as he tries to get in sync with his receivers, most notably Weston Dressler and Geroy Simon. Neither of those receivers played in Edmonton.

■■■ The Roughriders announced Wednesday they had added non-import running back Daryl Stephenson and the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder was on the field for the walkthrough.

The 27-year-old product of London, Ont., was selected by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the third round (15th overall) of the 2008 CFL draft out of the University of Windsor. The Bombers’ general manager at the time was current Roughriders GM Brendan Taman.

Stephenson, who won the Hec Crighton Trophy in 2006 as the top player in CIS football, spent three seasons in Winnipeg and then played with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2011 and 2012. The Tiger-Cats’ head coach last season was current Roughriders offensive coordinator George Cortez.

“It’s a good fit for me,” said Stephenson, who was released by Hamilton on Monday. “I know a lot of the coaches here and a lot of the players that I’ve played with. I’m really happy that I got this opportunity so quick ...

“I’m not sure what (the coaches) want yet, so I’m going to be prepared for whatever happens to jump in (tonight).”

After he was cut by the Tiger-Cats, Stephenson drove home to London and spent a few hours pondering his future.

“I had a lot of ideas coming, just trying to figure out life after football,” he said. “But I was really hoping that I would get another shot somewhere.”

To make room for Stephenson, the Roughriders released non-import receiver Jonelle Tolbert.

■■■ Stephenson likely will fill the hole left by an injury to fullback/special-teamer Neal Hughes, who has been spotted wearing a walking boot.

Chamblin said he’s unsure what Hughes’ status is because the medical staff hasn’t given the head coach a full update.

“It’s just an ankle,” Chamblin said. “I haven’t heard of anything torn or anything like that. Right now it’s just an ankle and they’re still working with him.

“When the swelling goes down, I’ll have more.”