DARIAN DURANT INTERVIEW

By Rob Vanstone Wed, Aug 11 2010 COMMENTS(0) Rider Rumblings

How are you feeling?

“I’m feeling good. I feel so much better than I felt last week. I’m just looking forward to going out there and finally being able to play with no weaknesses. I’m happy about that.’’

When did it sort of pass? “After they finally found out what was wrong, they gave me the proper medication to fight it. Once we found out in Montreal, I started taking antibiotics to get rid of it, and I’ve been on them every day since then. Every day has gotten better.

’’Are you feeling more energized not only than you were last week, but than the previous couple of weeks? “Definitely. I feel great. I can finally start eating right and things like that. When you do that, that gives you the energy to come out here and to be able to play your game. I’m just looking forward to that. It should be fun.

’’The next time you’re ill, will you tell the coaching staff right away? “Oh yeah. I will. I like to think I’m a tough guy. When I have injuries or sicknesses or anything like that, I don’t tell anyone. As you can see, this thing lingered for a while, and not telling anyone became a bad thing. Anytime I feel something, I definitely will go to Ivan and his staff so they can check me up and see what’s wrong.

’’What’s your mindset like as an athlete, because the last three weeks you’ve played at not even close to 100 per cent. Now you’re close to 100 per cent. What does that do to your mindset considering the way you’ve played the last three weeks.

“You can just go out there and leave it all out there. I’m not saying I took any plays off, which I didn’t, but now I can go all out and not have to worry about being fatigued or not having the strength to run a quarterback draw or something as simple as that. I haven’t run any quarterback draws, and that’s something that I’m strong at. Now that I’m feeling well, I can run a little more and get my five to eight carries a game and help us win games.’’It must have been in the back of your head.

“Of course. You really don’t have the same stamina you have when you’re OK. If you make a big play or a long run, you’re pretty winded afterwards. Not having that in the back of my head or hanging over me makes me feel a lot better about going out there and making plays.’’So the shackles are off the offence a little bit now?

“Look out. We feel good about this one. We’re just ready to get out there and play.’’On the potential of the offence: “We’re looking forward to coming out here and putting everything together and exploding and being the type of offence that we can be. We have the best receivers in the league and we want to show that.’’You threw for 445 yards and you felt like garbage. What can you do when you’re healthy?

“After watching the film, I could have thrown for 600 yards, honestly. It’s a step in the right direction. We’re going into Game 7. We have a long way to go. As long as we keep climbing the ladder, then when it comes later on in the season and it’s time to reach that peak, we’ll be there. The thing is to just keep getting better and better every week. If I’m throwing for 400 now, later on in the season I should be throwing for 500.’’What has it been like to go through this last month?

“It has been tough. Whenever something is stopping you from doing your job to the best of your ability, it’s always tough. I definitely don’t want to use it as an excuse. That’s one of the reasons why I didn’t even tell the doctors that I was sick. I don’t like having excuses as to why something goes wrong. I know, and my teammates know, what type of guy I am and what type of player I am when I’m at 100 per cent. Now it’s time to go out and do it. But these last couple of weeks have been tough on me, but I’m finally starting to get healthier. It should pay dividends on the field.

’’What’s it like trying to get better with everyone in the country, or at least the province, wondering how you’re doing?

“It’s not easy when you have a lot of people depending on you and you’re not 100 per cent yourself, but at the same time, it’s just how life goes. There are going to be some times when things are thrown in your way and you have to overcome certain obstacles. This is just a small bump in the road for me, and for us. We have the right pieces to do some special things. When get these little bumps and little obstacles out of the way, it should be smooth sailing.’’You had one interception after your first three weeks and you have a lot more since then. Are you taking more risks?

“I think I’m just getting caught up in trying to make too many plays instead of doing the right and the smart thing. Earlier on in the season, I tried to make those same plays and was making them, and now they’re turning into interceptions. It’s a fine line between trying to do too much and doing the smart thing, but I’m never going to stop playing my game. I’m going to try to make a play every time I can. It’s just about not forcing too much and being smart about the times you choose to do something special.

’’Can greatness rub off on players? You’ve got Hall of Fame week with Don Narcisse and Tracy Ham. Is that special to play in? “It is. I had a chance to spend a couple of days with Don out in Calgary earlier this year. To be able to talk to one of the all-time great Riders, I can definitely relate to everything he has been through here in Saskatchewan. He gives me pointers about how to deal with the fans, where to go eat, and little things like that. He’s a great guy to listen to. Hopefully he comes in and it rubs off on me and I have a Hall of Fame type of performance tomorrow.’’