July 20, 2017

Notebook: Kienan LaFrance is itching to play

Kienan LaFrance has been playing the waiting game for most of the past two months, so what’s another day?

The Saskatchewan Roughriders tailback has been out since injuring a hamstring in the early stages of training camp in Saskatoon. Now, nearly two months later, LaFrance is on the verge of finding out from the coaches if he’ll be in the lineup for Saturday’s CFL game against the host Calgary Stampeders.

“Practice has been going well this week,” the Winnipeg-born LaFrance said Thursday at Mosaic Stadium. “This has been the first full week that I’ve been back. I’ve been anxious to get out here and it has been nice to be able to contribute in all aspects of it.

“I’m sure the coaches still have shuffling around to do (before setting Saturday’s roster), but I’m out here, I’m working and I’m part of all the drills and the offence. I’m going to leave it up to them.”

LaFrance, 26, was a highly touted signing by the Roughriders when free agency opened in February. The University of Manitoba Bisons product had a memorable post-season for the Ottawa Redblacks in 2016, stepping into a starting role and helping the Redblacks win the Grey Cup.

But after LaFrance got hurt early in Saskatchewan’s camp, Cameron Marshall and Greg Morris established themselves as the first two tailbacks on the Roughriders’ depth chart. LaFrance, meanwhile, spent the first three weeks of Saskatchewan’s regular season on the injured list.

“Injuries are part of the game,” he said. “You’ve got to get over that adversity and keep running. You have to get back into it, forget about the past and move forward.

“I was a little frustrated at the beginning — it’s not the way you want the season to start — but to be back out here with the guys and enjoying the camaraderie is fun.”

Even if LaFrance is added to the 46-man roster for Saturday’s game, it’s unclear if he’ll dress or what role he would have if he did play. He’s just happy to be getting closer to a return.

“The situation that we’re in right now with Cameron and Greg in the backfield, I’d be comfortable with anyone back there; we’re all great backs,” LaFrance said. “It’s just a matter of fitting us in the right spots — and I’m excited to see how (the coaches) do it.”

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Mark Roberts also is back practising after suffering an injury.

The rookie defensive back injured a groin in the Roughriders’ 42-10 pre-season loss to the B.C. Lions in Vancouver on June 16. Roberts subsequently was released by Saskatchewan at the roster deadline.

The 25-year-old returned to his home in Orange, Texas, but he left Regina with the knowledge that the Roughriders planned to bring him back after he got healthy.

“I did what I could,” Roberts said. “I worked out, stretched and kind of took a little break. With your groin, you’ve got to take some time off; you can’t just get out there and run on it. I took the proper protocol and did what I had to do to get back.”

Roberts was set to return to Saskatchewan two weeks ago, but doubts crept in when the team altered his travel plans.

“The first time my flight got rescheduled, I was like, ‘Oh man. This can’t be good,’ ’’ said Roberts, who later was told by the Roughriders to stay home an extra week because they were on their bye week. “But I just trusted the process — and I’m here.”

After Roberts was added to Saskatchewan’s practice roster on Monday, he showed up for practice Tuesday sporting the white jersey worn by offensive players.

During training camp, Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones said he moved Roberts from receiver to DB because the rookie wasn’t going to make the team based on his hands. Now, Roberts has been moved back across the line of scrimmage.

“I’m just thankful to be playing the game,” Roberts said. “I originally started as a receiver, so I don’t have any problem helping Coach Jones on this side of the ball. Wherever he puts me, that’s where I’m going to play.”

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Like Roberts, quarterback Vince Young was released by the Roughriders at the roster deadline after sustaining an injury.

A torn hamstring suffered during a training-camp workout seemed to have ended the comeback of the former NFLer. But at a function this week in Austin, Texas, Young told a reporter that a career with the Roughriders is “still up in the air.”

“Coach Jones just told me, ‘Hey, man, go get healthy. Take your time. Don’t try to rush back but just know that the opportunity is still here if you want to come back,’ ’’ Young said.

On Thursday, Jones admitted Young could potentially return to Saskatchewan, saying: “I haven’t spoken with Vince, but certainly the option is still there for the future.”

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The Roughriders’ practice Thursday was the first held this season behind closed doors.

Jones decided to close one practice a week to fans and the media because he believes someone has been relaying information about the Roughriders’ plays to opposing teams.

So … what was it like practising in a near-empty stadium?

“There’s not people in the stands and not people on the sideline that normally we have, so it did seem a little bit different, a little bit weird to us,” Jones said. “But it allowed us to do everything that we need to do to make sure that we’re securing our game plan.”