SASKATOON — A lighter Jordan Tucker has a lot to gain this year.
The 6-foot-6 Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive tackle lost more than 20 pounds during the off-season with the objective of enjoying a prosperous 2024 campaign.
Tucker was instantly impressive at last year’s Coors Light Riders Training Camp, only to be injured on Day 3. After recovering from the injury, he rejoined the Green and White in early August and spent the remainder of the season on the practice roster.
“It was special to me, just because they made me a promise,” Tucker said after Thursday’s rookie camp workout at Griffiths Stadium. “In this game, not a lot of promises are kept, especially when it comes to management and GMs. You don’t really know what’s going to happen.
“They told me they were going to release me, but they were going to bring me back when I was healthy, and they did that.
“I think that showed that they have faith in me and in my future as a Roughrider. I came back, so that shows my faith in them.
“I couldn’t picture myself anywhere else.”
Tucker’s commitment was such that he arrived at camp as a leaner, quicker version of himself.
“I lost some weight and tried to pick up the speed a little bit,” the 315-pound University of North Carolina Tar Heels grad said.
“I was bouncing around between 335 and 340 last year. That’s what I played at in college.
“I feel naturally better. My knees aren’t hurting after practice. I feel like my wind is a lot better. I feel like I can move off the ball a lot better.
“Run blocking is the only thing I was concerned about at my weight, but I don’t feel like there’s any difference. I feel like I gained more power in my legs.”
Now he hopes to have a leg up on the competition while striving to become the starting left tackle.
“It’s just kind of up for grabs,” Tucker said. “We have a lot of people who aren’t returning from last year. We brought in Yoshi (Jermarcus Hardrick) to play on the right, so I feel like there’s plenty of opportunity at left tackle.
“I’m a natural-born tackle so, if that’s what I can do, then it’s my job to take.”
D-STRUCTION!
The Roughriders’ defence dominated on Day 2 of rookie camp, attacking the football and anyone who dared to carry it.
“We’re very greedy from a defensive standpoint,” Head Coach Corey Mace said before referencing colleagues Joshua Bell (pass game co-ordinator, defensive backs), J.C. Sherritt (run game co-ordinator, linebackers), Phillip Daniels (defensive line) and Jordan Linnen (defensive assistant).
“Coach Bell, Coach J.C., Coach Linnen and Coach Daniels were really telling these guys to claw and fight for everything.
“There’s no rule that the ball is exclusive and that, when it’s in the air, it belongs to the offence. Getting touches and disruption, certainly I was pleased with that.”
That, by Mace’s appraisal, was a rebound for the defence — a response he hopes is noted and emulated by players on the other side of the football.
“We had some (coverage) busts (on Wednesday) that could really hurt you, so it’s a give and take,” Mace said.
“I suspect that, watching the tape now, the offence will see what happened there and they’ll come back and try to dump it on the defence.
“That’s a healthy competition. You love that.”
EXTRA POINTS
Cue the defensive highlight reel …
- Cornerback C.J. Coldon registered two pass knockdowns and an interception on Day 2 of rookie camp. He had a pass knockdown on Day 1.
- Linebacker Antoine Brooks Jr. was also impressive on Thursday. His coverage skills were evident on two pass knockdowns. His quick pursuit also shut down a running play.
- Defensive linemen Sidney Houston Jr. and Habakkuk Baldonado also demonstrated their pursuit skills on running plays. Ditto for defensive back Marcus Murphy and linebacker K.D. Davis.
- Other defensive highlights from Thursday: Pressure exerted by defensive end Christian Albright extinguished a passing play … linebacker C.J. Avery sniffed out a screen pass … linebacker Zakoby McClain stepped in front of (and nearly intercepted) a pass shortly before chasing down a running back on a short route … a pick was recorded by former University of Saskatchewan Huskies defensive back Katley Joseph, who snared a tipped pass … and a pass knockdown by defensive back Holton Hill.
- Offensive highlights: Receiver Kalija Lipscomb, at his second Roughriders camp, was a frequent target … the acceleration of running backs Kennedy Brooks and Jerrion Ealy … Mason Fine to Dohnte Meyers for a crisp, 20-yard completion over the middle.
- Newly signed Joe Couch unloaded some towering punts during Thursday morning’s session. The 29-year-old Aussie routinely registered hang times exceeding four seconds, peaking at an impressive 4.67. Also of note was a 60-yarder that was accompanied by a 4.43-second clocking.
- Rookie camp concludes on Friday with a session that is to run from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The same timetable applies to Coors Light Riders Training Camp, which is to begin on Sunday morning at 8:30.
