RIDER NAMES
‘Presidential’ receivers
The Presidents do not have close ties to rushin'.
Naaman Roosevelt, Bakari Grant and Duron Carter are integral components of a Saskatchewan Roughriders receiving corps that has met lofty expectations early in the 2017 CFL season.
It is appropriate that Roosevelt, Carter and Grant play their home games in the (Green and) White House. So, for that matter, does Jefferson (first name: Willie), an erstwhile receiver who is now one of the league's elite defensive ends.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: This tacky presidential-surname angle is really a stretch. Get on with it!) Uh, where were we?
Oh yeah, the receivers ... Entering the season, tongues were wagging and superlatives were being thrown around like confetti as learned media types raved about the potential of the Roughriders' receiving corps.
From a newspaper perspective, it can safely be written that the trees did not die in vain.
Roosevelt's 285 receiving yards, on 23 catches, place him third in the league. He is coming off a 10-catch, 167-yard command performance in Saturday's 37-20 victory over the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
His production is hardly a surprise, considering that he amassed 1,095 yards on 76 catches in only 11 games last season. He was on pace to break the Roughriders' single-season receiving-yardage record — 1,715, set by the spectacular Joey Walters in 1981 — before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Grant, a free-agent signee, has one touchdown reception in each of his first three games with Saskatchewan. Entering Week 4, he was second in the league in TD catches, one behind the Calgary Stampeders' Kamar Jorden.
Carter, meanwhile, does not yet boast eye-popping statistics, but he is poised for a breakout game after registering seven catches for 63 yards and a touchdown against Hamilton. When Carter is on his game, there is not a more dangerous receiver in the league.
Reputedly, Carter can also be dangerous to his team's best interests. Last October, for example, he was released without explanation by the Montreal Alouettes. He was subsequently snapped up by Saskatchewan, which gambled that his abundant talent would trump (get it?) any issues or distractions.
So far, so good.
Carter had a mini-meltdown on the sideline during the regular-season opener in Montreal, but has generally been in control of his emotions.
Kevin Glenn has referred to Carter as someone who is “misunderstood” and it does seem that, once again, the Roughriders quarterback is accurate.
Carter, who has been labelled as a bad apple by some observers, has an impressive core personality. He is friendly, engaging and always smiling. Off the field, he has been an exemplary representative of the Roughriders.
The same description applies to the community-minded Nic Demski, the Roughriders' firstround selection (sixth overall) in the 2015 CFL draft.
Demski was a question mark entering this season, having shown glimpses of his ability in 2015 and 2016. To date in 2017, Demski is putting it all together, as evidenced by 15 catches (on 17 targets) for 184 yards and one touchdown.
He is 14th in the league in receiving yards, having seized a front-line opportunity that arose when veteran pass-catcher Rob Bagg was forced to miss the Roughriders' regular-season opener with an ankle injury.
Seeded seventh in the CFL, by the way, is the Toronto Argonauts' Armanti Edwards (who
Entering the season, tongues were wagging ... as learned media types raved about the potential of the Roughriders’ receiving corps.
has 233 yards on 18 catches). Edwards figured in the Roughriders' off-season hype until he was dealt to Toronto for Canadian/ non-import/national/whatever guard Peter Dyakowski, who has been a huge addition to a vastly improved offensive line.
The Roughriders' pass-blocking prowess was on display July 1 when Glenn had plenty of time in which to find Caleb Holley for the first touchdown at Mosaic Stadium.
Holley, who has 10 receptions for 129 yards, is on the sixgame injured list with shoulder trouble. He has been replaced by Antwane Grant, who had a touchdown catch negated by a penalty versus Hamilton.
Best of all, Grant gives the Roughriders' receiving corps yet another pass-catcher with a presidential surname — continuing in the fine tradition of (cue “Hail To The Chief ”) Dave Washington, Mike Washington, Stanley Washington, Quincy Jackson, Moody Jackson, Gene Taylor, Devin Wilson, Alan Ford, Mariet Ford, Nate Johnson, Kierrie Johnson and Albert Johnson.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: I warned you about stretching! Enough! Clean out your ...)
Gulp.
This column, it seems, will not go down in history as a Belabour Day Classic.