KORNEGAY MAKING HIS MARK

By Ian Hamilton, Leader-PostSeptember 11, 2009


REGINA — Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker Tad Kornegay was sporting a new watch Friday, a testament to his stellar play in the CFL team’s previous game on TSN.

Wait a second; the Labour Day Classic was played on Sunday! That means there wasn’t a Friday Night Gladiator selected after the Roughriders’ 29-14 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers!

“Maybe if we had played Friday night, I would have gotten a watch,” a chuckling Kornegay said after the Roughriders’ practice at Mosaic Stadium. “I bought this myself.”

Kornegay had five tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery in Sunday’s game, but he received only an honourable mention from the CFL when it announced its player-of-the-week selections Wednesday. B.C. Lions linebacker JoJuan Armour was the league’s pick as the top defender for the week.

“I just try to play as well as I possibly can; if it gets me accolades, I’m grateful, and if not, so be it,” noted Kornegay, who did get a nod from TSN’s Matt Dunigan during the network’s weekly “Game Ball” segment. “As long as I know I played my best and helped this team win, I’m all for it.”

Just how well did Kornegay do Sunday against Winnipeg?

“He had 11 opportunities to make a play — and he made 10 out of 11,” said Roughriders linebackers coach Alex Smith. “That’s pretty good.”

Some denizens of the Rider Nation wondered before the season began about the wisdom of the team installing a 6-foot-0, 185-pounder at the “quarter” position — a linebacker/defensive back hybrid. Their concern centred mainly around Kornegay’s size and its effect on his ability to defend the run.

The Roughriders’ coaches, however, didn’t share those concerns.
“I had dealt with him on special teams and I knew he was a tough, tenacious special-teams player,” Smith said. “He’s got a toughness about him. To put him in that situation, I knew he was going to be tough enough to handle it. It was just a matter of learning to play with all of those big bodies and making the correct reads.

“People were concerned about his size. Not me, because I saw what he did on special teams.”
Kornegay admitted there were some bumps in the road early on, primarily because he had never before played linebacker at any level of football. As a converted DB, the 27-year-old product of Trenton, N.J., had to adjust to seeing things from a different perspective and to hitting running backs and offensive linemen instead of receivers.

“I’m used to it now,” Kornegay said. “I learned a lot from the other linebackers on the team, I got better and I’m making bigger plays in the run game. Everything’s going good.”

“I’m not surprised how well he’s done,” noted defensive back Eddie Davis, one of Kornegay’s more vocal backers for defensive player-of-the-week. “He’s a quick guy and linemen have trouble with quick guys because once they get moving, they can’t stop. Tad can just give them one move, stop-and-start them, go around them and make plays. He’s done a good job.”
Entering Sunday’s game against the host Bombers, Kornegay leads the Roughriders in tackles for losses (three) and fumble recoveries (three) and shares the team lead in tackles (38). He’s also second on the team in interceptions (two) and fourth in forced fumbles (two).

Those who wondered about him as a linebacker before the season now could be eating humble pie.

“I think the critics and the fans like what I’m doing,” said Kornegay, who’s in his third season with the Roughriders and fifth in the CFL. “As long as I keep them happy and help us win, everything’s fine.”

ihamilton@leaderpost.canwest.com