Flashy offensive tackle likes to have fun
Roughriders’ Dennis has big personality; trying to add a ‘little flair’ to the O-line
Derek Dennis loves to bring the bling.
That’s why numerous necklaces and chains adorn the massive neck and chest of the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ newest left offensive tackle.
“I’m into jewelry and nice things,” Dennis said while in Regina for CFL Week. “Jewelry is like my trophy for winning things or doing well in life.”
Dennis has style. He leans toward flashy suits, which are often complemented by colourful ties and handkerchiefs. He’s flamboyant off the field and one of the CFL’s leading characters on social media.
“I’m just trying to add a little flair to the position and bring more light to it,” Dennis said.
Dennis’s Twitter handle — @6bonecrusher3 — is another example of his personality rising to the fore.
“I actually got that nickname in high school because there was a rap artist named Bonecrusher and he had a big Afro,” said Dennis, who attended high school in New York.
“I had a big Afro in high school and everyone called me Bonecrusher. When I played in my first high school game, I actually broke somebody ’s bone. The name stuck then and through college and I’m running with it.’’
Twitter is an aspect of social media that suits Dennis’s personality.
“I have fun with it,” Dennis said. “I’ve always been goofy and I’ve always been the guy who likes to laugh and to have fun.”
Dennis can also play. In 2016, when he was with the Calgary Stampeders, he was named the CFL’s most outstanding offensive lineman. He signed with the Riders as a free agent on Feb. 14.
“He’s a guy who is going to be a staple in what we do,’’ said Riders head coach and general manager Chris Jones. “We have to protect our quarterback better than we did a year ago and that’s the primary focus of what we’re doing. We’re hoping that he anchors the line for us.”
The CFL recognized Dennis’s oversized personality when he was the only offensive lineman invited to CFL Week.
“We’ve always been the unsung heroes,” the 6-foot-3, 341-pound Dennis said.
“We do all of the dirty work and get none of the credit. Everyone wants to see the flashy 1,000-yard receivers, the 5,000-yard quarterback and the 1,000-yard rushers. No one talks about the guys who helped him or her to do that. It’s not seven on seven. It’s 12 on 12. And without us, they can’t do anything.’’
It’s on the field that Dennis aims to live up to his nickname.
“Bonecrusher isn’t any self-proclaimed name,’’ Dennis said. “I actually try to play that way. I want dudes to think they had better not slack off against me because I will make them look bad, then go on Twitter and talk about it.”