RIDER PRIDE

Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive lineman Chris Best.
Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post

REGINA — Chris Best has tried to be a studious pupil in his two seasons as a backup offensive lineman with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Now he's ready for the crash course.

Best is expected to step in for perennial all-star Gene Makowsky, who suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee during Tuesday's 27-19 CFL preseason loss to the Calgary Stampeders. Makowsky is slated to miss up to a month, leaving Best with a window of opportunity to show what he can do as the starting left guard.

"It's my third year now and I've really concentrated more on learning from the older guys (like Makowsky and Jeremy O'Day), learning the things that make them the players they are," Best, 26, said after Thursday's practice at Mosaic Stadium.

"I've been paying attention to those guys, just trying to be ready for this opportunity if it came. It's unfortunate Geno had to go down but he's going to be back soon enough and in the meantime I'm going to do my best to fill those really big shoes."

Best joined the Riders as a highly touted prospect after being selected fourth overall in the 2005 Canadian college draft. He dressed in three games as a backup in 2007 and six more in the 2008 campaign, including one start.

Makowsky's injury will test Saskatchewan's depth, but head coach Ken Miller said Thursday the team currently has no plans to re-sign veteran Mike Abou-Mechrek, who remains a free agent and has let it be known he's just a phone call away. Instead, the Riders plan to run with their youngsters, led by Best and home-grown rookie Nick Hutchins, 21, a product of the University of Regina Rams.

"It feels really good," Hutchins said of making the team. "A lot of work went into getting here. I came in hoping and being optimistic about where I would be and it worked out well."

Hutchins was one of the most pleasant surprises to emerge from training camp. That said, Riders offensive line coach Bob Wylie felt from the beginning that he had the potential to stick around.

"If I didn't think he could play, he wouldn't be here," noted Wylie. "From what I saw of him (on film) in college I thought he had the ability to do it. Now it's up to him. You have to have the passion and want to get better every day. That's what makes guys stick

around for a long time."

As for Best, Wylie expressed confidence that he can make a successful transition from backup to starter. It's simply a matter of raising his level of play to match the speed of the game, which goes up several notches from practice.

"I have no problem putting him in there," said Wylie. "He has to make the best out of the opportunity. I've been with other pro teams in the National Football League where guys went down and the guy stepped in and the other guy never got his spot back. Usually when God closes a door he opens a window somewhere else so this is his opportunity to show what he can do."

Best played mostly tackle during the pre-season but noted that he's "probably a better guard." The 6-foot-5, 301-pound Calgary native feels he made most of the necessary adjustments to Wylie's new system during the pre-season, it's just a matter of some last fine-tuning.

"I want to play the game already," he added with a smile, referring to next Friday's season-opener against the visiting B.C. Lions. "We've got a week and a half (to prepare). I'm going to be more than ready."

gharder@leaderpost.canwest.com