Coors Light Training Camp doubled as a small-scale Eastern Kentucky University alumni meeting.
Upon arriving at the University of Saskatchewan for workouts in May, defensive end Aaron Patrick was reintroduced to a former Eastern Kentucky Colonels teammate, offensive tackle Payton Collins.
Both of them were in Saskatchewan’s opening-day lineup on June 5th, when the Roughriders defeated the Ottawa REDBLACKS 31-26 at Mosaic Stadium.
“It’s honestly really cool because my senior year, he was a freshman, so we were going at it a lot of times,” Patrick said.
“At the time, he was a scout-team guy. He was helping out with that and I, for the lack of a better word, was kind of beating up on him a little bit. It was just a seniority thing. But it was great watching him learn and grow.
“I came back last year and I realized in his senior year he won some All-American accolades. It was great to come back and see how far he has progressed and now we’re out on the same field.”
Collins, who hurt a knee in the third quarter of the Ottawa game, is on the one-game injured list. Patrick has been in the lineup from the outset, helping the Roughriders enjoy a 4-0 start.
Whereas Collins journeyed to the CFL directly out of college, Patrick showed up with 17 games of NFL regular-season experience.
They have increased the Roughriders’ All-Time Eastern Kentucky total to five, joining receiver Tron Armstrong (1986-87), defensive back Shawn Gallant (2000-01) and defensive lineman Marcus Adams (2003-10).
Six other Eastern Kentucky grads — known as Eternal Colonels — have tried out for the Roughriders: Running backs Jimmy Brooks (1973) and Corey Crume (2002), quarterbacks Jon Denton (2001) and Maty Mauk (2017), offensive lineman Sal Marchese (1960) and receiver Patrick Bugg (2007).
“I always say that when you don’t come from the biggest place, you kind of play with a little more of a chip on your shoulder,” said Patrick, whose 27½ sacks are the second-most in school history.
“In a sense, you have something to prove at all times, because you didn’t come from the Ohio States and Alabamas and Clemsons or whatever.
“You go to a smaller school and you’re not drafted and you just have to bite, scratch and claw your way to wherever you get.
“Everywhere you get from there is a learning experience and it just makes you stronger.”
The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder signed with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He spent time on the Jaguars’ practice roster in 2020 and 2021.
Next stop: Denver, where he played 12 games for the Broncos in 2021.
Patrick made his NFL debut on Oct. 3rd, 2021, registering one solo tackle and one assisted stop against the visiting Baltimore Ravens.
“It was an eye-opening experience,” he recalled. “I got to experience it with a lot of friends and family coming to my first game.
“But at that point, once you get out there and you’re in between the lines, it’s just football. It’s not where somebody came from. It’s not about what somebody can do or what they’re known for doing.
“You’ve got to perform between the white lines, so at that point it just becomes doing what you’ve been doing your whole life.”
Patrick suited up five times for Denver in 2022 before suffering a knee injury.
Released by the Broncos in late August of 2023, he was out of football last year before signing with the Roughriders in April.
He quickly earned plaudits for his ability on defence and prowess on special teams.
“This is huge,” Patrick said. “I thank all the coaches and everyone for me being able to stay here. It’s a great group of guys we get to grind with all the time. It’s great anytime you get to continue playing football.
“There’s a couple of guys on the team who may or may not have been playing as much football as they wanted over the past however many years, but to be able to get out here and get your feet back in the water and grind with guys who love playing football, it’s always fun.”
