‘I’M THE GUY’
Darian Durant vows to come back in 2016
Darian Durant stepped up Monday without stepping on the field.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ marquee quarterback left no doubt about his return in 2016 from a ruptured left Achilles tendon that he suffered in the first half of the CFL team’s regular-season opener on June 27. During a media availability, Durant confirmed what his role will be in 2016 while answering questions about his leadership.
“I’m the guy,” Durant said.
“I feel like I’m the guy who can take this team to the next level and get this team out of this slump. I’m comfortable in my abilities. Every year that I’ve been (a) starter, with the exception of 2011, we’ve had a shot at the Grey Cup. I see no difference next year.”
Durant is optimistic about the Riders rebounding from a 2015 season in which they carry a 2-15 record into Sunday’s regular-season finale in Montreal against the Alouettes.
“If I can stay healthy, I still feel like I’m the best quarterback in this league and I’m out to prove that,” Durant said.
There may be even more than that involved in his comeback. In 2016, Durant will be in the final year of a three-year contract extension that he signed before the 2014 season, a deal that reportedly pays him a league-high $500,000 per season.
The quarterback sees his performance as a key to his future with the Riders.
“If I want to be the future of the team, I have to stay healthy,” said Durant, who was sidelined for half of the 2014 season by a torn tendon in his right elbow.
“I have to prove to the organization that I can stay healthy and that I deserve to be here in the future. The main thing that comes with that is being in the community and going out on the field and proving that I have a lot of football left in me. It’s a huge year for me.”
Durant’s bold statements were bright spots in a dismal season for the Riders. The Riders didn’t recover from Durant’s absence and are out of playoff contention for the first time since 2011.
“It’s crushing watching the team go through this each and every week and not being able to help,” said the 33-year-old Durant. “I really think I could have helped this team succeed this year and it really sucks watching it. It’s a learning experience and it humbled me.
“It just has me fired up for next year.”
The recent injuries limited Durant to 11 regularseason starts over the past two seasons. He suffered the torn tendon on Sept. 7, 2014, during a 30-24 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Durant missed the remainder of the 2014 season and the playoffs as a result of the injury to his throwing arm.
He then suffered the ruptured Achilles before the 2015 season was 30 minutes old.
Durant is confident that he’ll be fully recovered by Jan. 1 and ready to lead the Riders in 2016.
“I won’t be the same quarterback, I will be better,” Durant vowed. “I will be fine. My arm is stronger than it has ever been. There is no history that I looked (at) that shows anybody not returning from an Achilles (injury).”
It sounded like Durant has heard about the concerns raised over his recovery and its impact on the Riders. Much of the media gathering was devoted to Durant addressing those issues.
“I’m not irked by that at all because everyone is entitled to feel the way that they want,” Durant said. “Everyone that I’ve seen go down from an Achilles is still a productive player. There is no question I won’t be the same. But as I said, I won’t be the same player. I will be better.”
Compared to Durant’s comeback in 2015, he will have most of the off-season to prepare for a new season. Due to the elbow injury, Durant spent a lot of the 2015 off-season rehabilitating the first major injury of his career. That shouldn’t be the case this off-season as Durant expects to be 100 per cent by Jan. 1.
“It won’t be any tougher (than the elbow injury) because the rehab will be done this off-season and that’s what I’ve been doing this season,” Durant said. “I’ll be here this off-season and working (with the training staff) closely. I will try to get a training schedule that can put me in the best shape possible to just stay on the field.”