Notebook: The Roughriders welcome back an old friend

Dan Clark expects a loud ovation before Friday’s CFL game between his Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Montreal Alouettes.

The Roughriders’ centre isn’t thinking of himself, though. He believes the Mosaic Stadium faithful will pay tribute to Alouettes quarterback Darian Durant, who is playing his first game in Regina since being traded to Montreal in January.

“I’d be pretty shocked if there wasn’t a standing O when he ran out there,” Clark said in advance of Friday’s game (7:30 p.m., CKRM, TSN). “I hope that people show a lot of respect to that man. It’s something that he deserves and something that he has earned.”

Durant spent 11 seasons with Saskatchewan before being traded to Montreal on Jan. 13. The deal was made after the veteran quarterback and the Roughriders couldn’t agree on a new contract.

Durant was the winning quarterback when the Alouettes defeated Saskatchewan 17-16 on June 22 in the first regular-season game for both teams. He had said before the contest that he was going to treat it as just another game, but his emotional response to the victory belied his inner thoughts.

Speaking to reporters in Montreal this week, Durant said he didn’t hold any animosity toward the Roughriders and head coach-GM Chris Jones. Saskatchewan’s bench boss also has moved on from the goings-on in January.

“He was a very good player for a long time for this organization,” Jones said. “He did a lot of good things.

“Regardless of who they play at quarterback, we’re just going to line up and play football.”

The Roughriders expect Durant to be charged up for Friday’s game, but they have more at stake than the Alouettes. Montreal has lost nine games in a row and owns a 3-13-0 record, while the 9-7-0 Roughriders are heading to the post-season.

They may be glad to see him again — but that’s the extent of their attachment.

“Being around him for eight years of my life, that’s like an older brother’s influence,” Clark said. “But it’s definitely going to be somebody coming into our stadium who is coming in here to prove something. When we look at it like that, we’ve got to be able to come together and prove that we’re trying to stay hot.

“But I still think the fan base and the players who know Darian are going to show him the respect that he deserves.”

•••

Durant has endured a tough season, going 3-11-0 as Montreal’s starter and passing for 3,107 yards with 15 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Roughriders quarterback Kevin Glenn said he feels for his friend.

“I’ve been there,” Glenn said. “I’ve been in those situations where you’re trying to do everything right and it just doesn’t seem like it’s going your way.

“The biggest thing for professional athletes is to not put any added pressure on yourself. We already go through enough. This kind of stuff could break you. If you’re not mentally strong enough, it could tear you down … and it could go from on the field to outside in your regular life. I would never want anything like that to happen to him.”

Glenn noted that Durant has had a fine career in the CFL and he needs to remember that no matter how the 2017 season ends up.

“You never want him to think that, because of what happened this year with him, he’s a waste or he’s nothing,” Glenn said. “He’s still Darian Durant. He’s the most-recognized person in this province. It’s just one of those years that it’s just not going the way that he wanted it to go.”

•••

The Roughriders had a chance to win the game in Montreal, but Tyler Crapigna’s 45-yard field-goal attempt on the game’s final play was wide.

Now Crapigna gets another shot at the Als — but the kick he missed June 22 is a faded memory.

“I don’t think there’s really any sense of needing redemption,” Crapigna said. “We’re in the playoffs. We got to where our goal was up to this point.

“I’m just going to try to do what I do. I haven’t really been concerned with any other teams. I missed one against Winnipeg earlier in the year and I didn’t think about that come Labour Day or in the rematch. It doesn’t really matter to me.

“Those kicks are in the past. All I’ve got to worry about is my next one.”

Crapigna goes into Friday’s game having made a personal-best 18 straight field-goal tries. The club record is 28 — held by Dave Ridgway and Chris Milo — but that’s not on Crapigna’s mind.

“With the attitude I approach the game with, I want to be perfect on every kick,” he said. “Quarterbacks throw the ball and throw touchdowns, and DBs break up passes and get interceptions. My job is to kick field goals, so I approach it to be perfect in every sense when I go out there.”

•••

Like Durant, Marc-Olivier Brouillette is facing his former team Friday.

The veteran safety played seven seasons with the Als before signing as a free agent with Saskatchewan in February. On the eve of training camp, he retired to concentrate on his career as a lawyer, but changed his mind and reported to the Roughriders on Sept. 20.

On Friday, he’ll take on Montreal for the first time in his career.

“It’ll be interesting,” Brouillette said. “I spent a lot of time with some of the guys on the other side of the football and have really good relationships with them to this day.

“At the end of the day, between whistles, we’re adversaries and I’ve got a job to do, just as they have a job to do. But before and after the game, it’ll be nice to see those guys again.”