Roughriders’ Dan Clark demonstrates resilience once again

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Dan Clark‘s right leg was broken, but the same could not be said of his indomitable spirit.

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Despite being seriously injured during the waning minutes of the Saskatchewan Roughriders‘ second game of the 2022 season, the 34-year-old centre vowed to return to the CFL wars on the earliest conceivable date.

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Clark acknowledged that there was a “45-minute pity party” after he was driven off the field at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium on June 18, but the mindset soon changed and his trademark resilience prevailed once more.

“I was thinking, ‘I don’t know if I can come back from this. I’m too old,’ ” Clark, whose second stint on the six-game injury list is about to conclude, acknowledged after Monday’s practice.

“But what crept into my mind was that I survived the car accident and being ejected from that, so a broken leg ain’t nothing.”

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In the spring of 2019, Clark was involved in a single-vehicle rollover on a gravel road while heading back home to Regina after a community appearance.

He was thrown from the vehicle and sustained injuries that forced him to miss part of training camp. Yet, he never missed a game in 2019 en route to being named a CFL all-star for the first time.

This season, the Roughriders have a 2-0 record with Clark in the lineup, whereas they are 4-8 without him. Over the entire 14 games, Saskatchewan’s quarterbacks have been sacked a league-worst 59 times.

That total could easily swell Friday against the 12-2 Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who boast a fearsome defensive line, so the anticipated return of Clark is timely.

“I think the mindset is, ‘Just be happy to come into Winnipeg and put out a performance that we deserve,’ ” Clark said.

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In addition to welcoming back Clark, the Roughriders also expect two other members of the offensive line — left tackle Terran Vaughn and left guard Logan Ferland — to return to action Friday.

Ferland has missed one game with a back injury. Vaughn, who has been in and out of the lineup due to injuries, was away for the Roughriders’ most-recent game — a 26-24 loss to the visiting Edmonton Elks on Sept. 16 — because his girlfriend recently had a baby boy.

Although the Roughriders will likely field their best offensive line in quite some time, all is not encouraging on the injury front.

Tailback Frankie Hickson is out four to six weeks with a fractured wrist, the severity of which did not become apparent until after the recent Edmonton game.

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Hickson had registered 299 rushing yards in four games since taking over as the featured tailback from Jamal Morrow, who is still recovering from a broken hand.

Head coach Craig Dickenson said that Morrow, who had 564 rushing yards and 305 receiving yards in 10 games, is still “two or three weeks” away from returning.

With Hickson and Morrow both unavailable, the Roughriders are likely to start newcomer Shaun Wilson at tailback on Friday. Wilson, formerly of the Duke Blue Devils, signed with the Roughriders in late August.

“Shaun just got here a couple of weeks ago, so he’s still learning, but we’re hopeful that he can grasp the offence and do what we need to do,” Dickenson said.

The Roughriders do have an array of people who can grasp the football — especially with slotback Duke Williams likely to return Friday after missing four games with an ankle injury.

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If Williams can indeed start, the Roughriders will boast the most dangerous receiving corps they have fielded all season. Shaq Evans, Kyran Moore, Kian Schaffer-Baker and Brayden Lenius are also proven pass-catchers.

“It’s a problem for me because you only have one football,” quarterback Cody Fajardo joked, “but it’s a problem for defences as well because you can’t just stop one or two guys.”

ROSTER MOVES

The Roughriders have added Canadian defensive back Kosi Onyeka, American defensive lineman Cody Roscoe and American offensive lineman T.J. Storment to the practice roster.

Onyeka rejoins the Roughriders after spending time with the CFL team earlier this season. He dressed for six games, registering one tackle.

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Roscoe spent the past two seasons at Syracuse University. In 23 games, he registered 63 total tackles, 18 1/2 tackles for a loss, 10 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

The 6-foot-7, 320-pound Storment attended rookie mini-camp with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens after spending the 2021 NCAA season at Texas Tech University. He started 12 games at left tackle, earning an All-Big 12 honourable mention distinction.

As well, the Green and White has released American defensive end Keion Adams, who was in his second season with the team. Adams had two sacks and 17 defensive tackles in seven games this season.

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The sports world is ever-changing, as are the times. Supplement your steady diet of sports coverage by subscribing to the Regina Leader-Post’s 306 Sports Fix newsletter. Each week, sports editor Rob Vanstone will provide additional commentary on the Roughriders, Pats and other teams/sports of interest, along with a peek behind the curtain. Click here to subscribe.

[email protected]

twitter.com/robvanstone

The sports world is ever-changing, as are the times. Supplement your steady diet of sports coverage by subscribing to the Regina Leader-Post’s 306 Sports Fix newsletter. Each week, sports editor Rob Vanstone will provide additional commentary on the Roughriders, Pats and other teams/sports of interest, along with a peek behind the curtain. Click here to subscribe.