Willie Jefferson is showing signs of progress

 “He has come so far from what he was a few years ago when we had him in Edmonton. He was a guy who needed a little push every now and then and sometimes a little kick in the butt. He’s a great guy and a phenomenal athlete. Now he just needs to put a solid season together and we’ll see how good he can be.” — Chris Jones, discussing Willie Jefferson on June 6

Chris Jones is getting a good idea of how good Willie Jefferson can be.

So are CFL offensive tackles — and quarterbacks.

Jefferson, a 26-year-old defensive end with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, is off to a fine start to the 2017 season. The 6-foot-6, 240-pounder goes into Week 5 tied for the league lead with nine quarterback pressures and tied for fourth with two sacks.

His 19 defensive plays (nine pressures, seven tackles, two sacks and a pass knockdown) lead the Roughriders entering Saturday’s game against the host Calgary Stampeders.

“These first couple of games, I made plays but I could have made a couple more,” Jefferson said. “It’s just getting into the swing of the season and playing against other teams.

“It’s coming along. I’m happy with the progress I’ve made so far, but I know I could be better.”

A few times this season, Jones — the Roughriders’ head coach and GM — has said that he’s proud of Jefferson for the progress he has made as a person and as a player. On Wednesday, Jones expanded on that thought.

“He has made some mistakes in his life, as we all have, and I’m just proud of where he has come from,” said Jones, who brought Jefferson to the CFL in 2014.

“The first year we had him in Edmonton, he didn’t necessarily practise hard every day. His work habits sometimes (were lacking). He depended on his athleticism to be the dynamic guy. Now he’s the guy who can speak at the end of the day because he comes to work every day and does the things he’s supposed to do in the meeting rooms and on the field.”

Jefferson was a highly touted wide receiver coming out of high school in Beaumont, Texas. He elected to go to Baylor University and played with the Bears as a true freshman in 2009.

He moved to tight end for the 2010 season, but the idea was floated that he should move to defensive end. However, his time at Baylor ended in October when he was dismissed from the team for violating team rules.

He moved to Stephen F. Austin State University and played two seasons with the Lumberjacks, who deployed him solely on defence. In 2011, he was named the Southland Conference’s top newcomer after recording 16 sacks.

In 2013, Jefferson signed with the NFL’s Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent and played six games for them before being released.

He found his way to Edmonton in 2014, recording 17 tackles and four sacks in 17 games with the Eskimos. The following season, Jefferson had 23 tackles and six sacks in 18 games before helping Edmonton win the Grey Cup.

Jefferson signed with the Washington Redskins in January of 2016, but he was released after training camp. He signed with Saskatchewan in September and was reunited with Jones, who took over the Roughriders in December of 2015.

Whether it’s because of a newfound maturity or the opportunity Jefferson has been given, Jones has seen a different person.

“We signed him to a good deal and showed him that, ‘You’re going to have to come in here and be one of our leaders, not just one of the throw-in guys, the specialty pass-rush guys. You’re going to have to lead,’ ’’ Jones said. “He has taken it and run with it.”

Jefferson’s athleticism has never been a question.

At Baylor, he recorded a vertical leap of 38 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet five inches. In Edmonton, Jones said, Jefferson had a time of 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Even if those measurables have diminished, Jefferson still presents a problem for offensive linemen.

“He has long arms, which is very tough for a short offensive lineman like me to deal with because he can easily get his hands on you and create space that you’re not used to seeing with some of the smaller ends in the league,” said Roughriders tackle Derek Dennis, who had some spectacular one-on-one battles with Jefferson during training camp. “He’s a matchup nightmare …

“Going against him every day is a great challenge. It’s a great way to get me ready for the week because I know that after going against Willie three or four days a week, game day is a walk in the park.”

Roughriders defensive tackle Eddie Steele lined up beside Jefferson in Edmonton, so he has seen his skills since 2014.

Steele pointed to Jefferson’s body style, confidence and awareness as keys to his success. Because he has seen Jefferson work for a while now, Steele isn’t surprised by anything his teammate does.

“When Edmonton first signed him, everybody kept talking about this great pass-rusher that we were bringing in,” Steele said. “I saw some tape of him in (Edmonton’s) mini-camp and I saw the way he can get his hips around O-linemen. It’s just natural.

“I don’t ever think, ‘How does he do it?’ I’m just thankful he’s doing it because it makes my job easier.”

If the Roughriders (1-2-0) are to prevail Saturday, they’ll have to disrupt the rhythm of quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell and the Calgary offence.

That’s where Jefferson comes in — and he’s up for the challenge.

“I’m just happy to be out here with my boys, making the progress that we’re making, trying to make the fans as happy as we can, trying to get everything rolling,” he said. “We know it’s the beginning of the season. If we get the little things taken care of and move forward as a team, everything will be great.”