INTERVIEW WITH DARIAN DURANT

By Rob Vanstone Wed, May 26 2010 COMMENTS(0) Rider Rumblings

The media interviewed Darian Durant today, for the 832nd time. Here's a portion of the scrum. For the rest, turn to tomorrow's column:

You have the No. 1 job. What is your mindset this season? “My mindset is just to improve in every area of my game and try to make sure that I work on the little things. If you do that, then it will make for a better season.

’’What are those little things? “Number 1 is my decision-making. If I cut down half of those turnovers, we score a bunch more points. Next comes the little fundamental things — footwork, how high I hold the ball, and things like that so I can quicken up my release and have consistency with my velocity so we can complete more of those deep balls.’’Obviously, it has been a pretty long offseason.

How bad is the itch right now to get going with training camp? “It can’t come soon enough. I’m so glad we’re just about a week away. It feels good to be able to get back working with the guys. When you end the season like it did last year, you’re ready to get back to work as soon as you can. With it being here, it’s definitely exciting.

’’You were on the sideline in 2007 when (the Roughriders) faced the Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup and Ryan Dinwiddie. What do you know about him? “I know he’s a winner, from his time at Boise. We pretty much came out of college at the same time. I’m a fan of the game first. I remember him and the success he had at Boise (State). Also, he has won some games in this league. He’s going to be a great addition to our team and he’s going to be a great help for me.

’’Are you happy with the way the off-season has gone to get you over that hump and bring the Cup home? “I’m definitely excited about the direction we’re headed. If you ask me, we were one play away from winning, and we’re better this year. I definitely think we’ll be right back where we belong.

’’How much of a comfort level is there having a guy behind you in camp who has taken some snaps in this league instead of three guys who have never played a down here? “It’s definitely a lot more comfortable for me. The biggest thing is your in-game adjustments. You definitely need a guy who has seen every coverage there is to see in this league who can come to you and talk to you on the sidelines and let you know what he sees and where to attack a defence next if we’re not hitting on all cylinders at the time.

’’I know it’s early, but what can the fans expect this year from you and the team as a whole? “Excitement. We’re stacked on offence. They should expect us to come out every game and be a very, very explosive team. We basically won the Grey Cup and I feel like we’re better offensively, and a better team. It’s just exciting, man, and I’m looking forward to the fan support of this year. I know that they’re looking for something special and we’ll give it to them.

’’How different does it feel this year? Ken Miller was saying that a year ago, he didn’t know who the starting quarterback was going to be, and now there’s really no debate. “It’s a different feeling — it definitely is. It’s a better feeling. There’s more comfort and you’re more relaxed. I know what to do now. I know what to expect from all of our receivers. I know how to approach our O-line now to give them motivation. It’s a different role. The guys look up to me, and now I can be a little bit more vocal. They know I’m the guy and, if they just follow, we can make it happen.’’

Does it feel a little strange? Two years ago, you were in the same position (as Cole Bergquist, Todd Reesing, Ryan Dinwiddie and Kent Smith)? “It’s crazy, actually. It has been a crazy past two years. I’m just thankful that my parents raised me to have patience, especially at the quarterback position.

Very, very few guys come in and play right away at quarterback, and you definitely have to have patience. Being patient for a couple of years has allowed me to sit back and learn a lot about the game. It has enabled me to be in this position right now.’’In those first couple of years, how tough was it to stay patient? “It’s very tough. As a competitor, you want to play. It’s tough sitting back, but you know that at quarterback you have to pay your dues and you have to be patient. If you’re thrown out there too early and you’re not ready, you could lose your career, basically. I’m just thankful. God puts things in your path for a reason. He saw success in me and He made sure I sat and watched the game and learned from two great guys like Kerry Joseph and Marcus Crandell before I was ready to go out and play.

’’Did you ever reach a point where you thought your patience might be exhausted? “To be honest, sometimes you really do feel like you’re just waiting, waiting, waiting and you don’t see light at the end of the tunnel. You have to persevere. You see guys who have played 12, 13, 14 years and don’t even make it to a Grey Cup. You see different things while you sit back and watch and it allows you to learn patience.

’’(Reesing, Dinwiddie and Smith) are interviewed right away. How long was it before you were interviewed here? “Years . . . years! Really! I didn’t get any interviews in ’06 or ’07, really. But, hey, it’s a little different. It’s crazy that I’m four years into the game and now I’m considered the vet and the old guy. It’s a great feeling. I look forward to passing some leadership down to these guys and I look forward to embracing the role of being the leader of this franchise from start to finish.

’’What do you make of all the commotion over the other quarterbacks? “I don’t worry about it. I’ve been here going on five years now and I’ve seen so many quarterbacks come and go — highly touted ones. If you look at the starters around the league, none of those guys were really highly touted coming out of college. It’s all about coming out here and producing on the field. It’s a different game. What you did in college doesn’t matter anymore. You have to make a name for yourself now. I don’t really worry about the hoopla and things like that. If I go out there and do my job, I really have nothing to worry about.’’It’s amazing, though, with how much people are consumed with that position. Is that just life as a quarterback? “I don’t know. For a couple of years, I’ve heard that the most popular guy here is always the backup. I was in that role before, too. I remember when the fans were calling for me to play. It’s just part of the game. If I go out there and produce every game and do what I’m capable of doing and I keep stacking up wins, you’ll hear the guys talk about Darian just as much as they talk about the backup.

’’There’s so much talk about the young quarterbacks here, but you’re a young quarterback. You could be the quarterback here for another 10 years. Where does a young quarterback fit in when you’re a young quarterback and you’re already an all-star? “I don’t know. That’s a great question. I guess because I’ve been here for a couple of years, I’m kind of like the old guy now. Whenever there’s new blood coming in, that’s what the people want to see, and I understand that. It’s just like a new movie. You hear about it and then you want to see for yourself. That’s what everyone expects, and there’s nothing wrong with that. When you’re in a province like this where they love their football so much, our fans don’t just care about the quarterback, but about every position. It’s just part of the territory. I really don’t let it bother me. It takes time to learn this game. It takes time to adjust to the game. If I do what I’m supposed to do, then I really don’t have to worry about whatever else or whoever else is behind me.’’