Zack Evans’ return to the Queen City hasn’t featured a highlight reel of big plays or a barrage of impressive statistics — not yet, anyway.
But the Regina-born defensive tackle has enjoyed his homecoming with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders no matter what his numbers say.
“I’m doing my job each and every play no matter what,” Evans said in advance of the Roughriders’ game Saturday against the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field (5 p.m., CKRM, TSN). “That’s my M.O. and that’s who I’ve been my entire life.
“If the plays happen and I happen to make them, so be it. But if not, I’m still doing my job. I’m taking on two or three (blockers) and doing whatever I have to do to get a W.”
The Roughriders take a 7-5-0 record this season into Saturday’s game, a mark that tied them for second place in the West Division with the Edmonton Eskimos entering the week. Evans has recorded 11 tackles, three fumble recoveries, one sack, one tackle for a loss, one forced fumble and one pass knockdown in those 12 games.
His numbers are off the pace he set during the previous four seasons, when he averaged nearly 20 tackles and more than five sacks for the Ottawa Redblacks while establishing himself as one of the CFL’s top national defensive tackles.
But Evans isn’t complaining about his statistics to date.
“You can go from lots of sacks one year to zero sacks the next year; it goes back and forth, back and forth,” the 27-year-old said. “This year, D-tackles (around the league) aren’t getting many sacks. I don’t know if it’s the offences that teams are running or what, but we’re doing what we’ve got to do.
“In this system, I’m a workhorse. I just want to take three (blockers on), do my job and go home.”
Evans came home to Regina this off-season, signing as a free agent with the Roughriders after a four-year hiatus.
After starring for the Prairie Football Conference’s Regina Thunder, Evans joined the Roughriders as a territorial junior in 2012.
After playing 16 games over two seasons with Saskatchewan — and winning a Grey Cup with the Green and White in 2013 — he was claimed by the Redblacks in an expansion draft prior to the 2014 season.
The 6-foot-4, 295-pounder didn’t expect to be selected in the draft, especially after Ottawa also took fellow national defensive tackle Keith Shologan from the Roughriders. But Evans quickly developed into a quality CFL starter in Ottawa and helped the Redblacks reach the Grey Cup game in both 2015 and ’16.
When Ottawa claimed the CFL title in that latter year, Evans had the second Grey Cup ring of his career.
He hit free agency in February of this year and jumped at the chance to rejoin the team with which he began his CFL career — and the team for which he had cheered all his life.
“When this (contract offer) fell into my lap and I heard what was going on here, it was just the perfect fit (and) the perfect fairy tale for me,” Evans said in February after signing a one-year deal.
Seven months later, both sides remain happy with the deal.
“He has played really well,” Saskatchewan head coach-GM Chris Jones said. “He has played within our scheme and he fits in with our locker room really well. He’s a leader — a quiet leader — but he’s a guy who shows up to work every day.”
That work hasn’t led to a lot of statistics, but Jones is more than pleased with Evans’ production within the Roughriders’ defence.
“He was kidding with (linebacker) Sammy Eguavoen (recently) because Sammy is one of the top point-getters on our board,” Jones said. “(Evans) gets a lot of double-teams and he draws a lot of attention which allows the linebackers to be freed up.”
Evans has seen a significant change in the Roughriders’ operation since his unexpected departure to Ottawa in early 2014.
“We’re proud of what we do and we’re good at what we do…”
Among other things, the team has a new front office, a new coaching staff and a new home stadium. As a result of those changes, Evans believes the Roughriders “are a lot more established as a team.”
“We’re more ready for the week-in, week-out flow of things,” he said. “They’ve done a great job of moving this franchise toward what it’s supposed to be.
“It’s supposed to be Rider Pride. It’s supposed to be, ‘We’re proud of what we do and we’re good at what we do.’ I like it.”
Playing for his hometown team is obviously special for Evans because of his long-term connection to the Roughriders, especially as a fan. But, he noted, it’s also a job — and it’s a job that he wants to do well.
While working in front of family members, friends and former high school and junior teammates could put some significant pressure on an individual, the Regina product isn’t feeling it.
“A lot more people can see me now and we’re definitely under the microscope a lot more as a Rider,” said Evans, who had three tackles and a tackle for loss in last Saturday’s 30-25 home loss to Ottawa. “But in the end, I know what my job is and how to do it, so I do it.”
