By Ian Hamilton, Leader-PostSeptember 18, 2009
REGINA — Gerran Walker is becoming more of a factor in the Saskatchewan Roughriders' offence.
REGINA — Gerran Walker is becoming more of a factor in the Saskatchewan Roughriders' offence.
In fact, he's the "X" factor.
Walker — who mans the X wide receiver spot in the Roughriders' offence — is coming off his most productive game of the CFL season. He had six catches for 85 yards in Sunday's 55-10 rout of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Walker — who mans the X wide receiver spot in the Roughriders' offence — is coming off his most productive game of the CFL season. He had six catches for 85 yards in Sunday's 55-10 rout of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
"Sometimes the contours of the coverage allow you to take the X throw and I think Darian (Durant, the Roughriders' quarterback) is getting more confident that, 'I'm just going to flip it out to the X and trust that that's there,' " Roughriders offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice said Thursday when asked to explain Walker's showing. "It's the quarterback seeing the whole picture, for one thing.
"The other thing is (Walker) has got some ability to make people miss with the ball in his hands, so we try to put him in position to get the ball quickly and make people miss."
But Walker didn't get to do that out of training camp. Even though he had played six games with the Roughriders last season, the 25-year-old product of Atlanta was beaten out for the starting spot by Chris Jones.
After Saskatchewan's first three regular-season games — in which Jones totalled just four catches for 22 yards — Walker was inserted into the lineup. The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder has progressed over the seven games he has played.
"I'm pretty much the same as I was as far as being mentally prepared, but I'm just getting more comfortable," said Walker, who's fourth on the team in receptions (20) and receiving yards (252).
"At the beginning of the season, I wasn't playing, but I was still working hard in practice. Now I've turned the corner and I'm looking forward to a good run to the end of the season."
The Roughriders also have changed things up for Walker. He's taking some snaps at slotback, which allows him to take a running start toward the line of scrimmage.
The Roughriders also have changed things up for Walker. He's taking some snaps at slotback, which allows him to take a running start toward the line of scrimmage.
"As he gets greater opportunities, he gets more comfortable, Darian gets more comfortable with him and we figure him into some plays to get him open," said head coach Ken Miller. "He's risen to the occasion. I'm really pleased with his performances."
Not everyone in the Rider Nation has been. Earlier this season, Walker was criticized by some fans for his work as a kick returner — especially when one of his fumbles on a punt return resulted in a touchdown for the B.C. Lions.
"I was over it pretty much — well, not right after it happened, but maybe a day or two after," Walker said. "It's football. I was trying to make a play and it didn't work out for us. I'm over it now and just trying to make plays on offence."
But even as Walker tries to cement his spot in the offence, he keeps hearing that the Roughriders may have some interest in Matt Dominguez.
Miller said there isn't anything new with Dominguez — he's still trying to get into game shape in case the Roughriders need him — but the veteran wideout was on the field again Thursday, running patterns and catching passes from quarterback Cole Bergquist after practice.
"It's a tough situation, but my job is just to come out and play," Walker said of the spectre of a return by Dominguez. "I know for the fans, it's an open wound. He was only here a year ago — it's not like it's three or four years down the road — so that's going to happen regardless of who's the next guy to come in.
"Whenever it's a guy like that who meant so much to the team and was a fan favourite, it's always going to be kind of hard to finally close that chapter."
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