DURANT UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL SACRIFICES

Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant
Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post files

REGINA — Darian Durant decided against saying "bye'' during the bye week.
Many of Durant's teammates with the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders are scattered across North America, but the 27-year-old quarterback resisted the temptation to emulate them.

"The main thing I wanted to do was stay focused, keep working out, and make sure I'm in the film room so I could correct some of the things that have been going wrong early in the season,'' Durant said. "I knew that if I improved my reads and my play, it will help the football team out tremendously.''

Durant had intended to embark for Jacksonville, Fla., where his brother Justin plays linebacker for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. Those plans were altered about two weeks ago.

"I was thinking about getting my flight and whatnot,'' the Riders' pivot recalled. "I just decided it would be better for me and for the team for me to just stay up here. I knew everybody else was going home, and there's nothing wrong with that, but the thing I wanted to do is just continue to focus on this season.''

That is one more reason to be impressed with Durant.

As the key player on offence — and as a leader on the team — he recognizes the importance of making personal sacrifices for the good of the collective.

Nobody stands to derive more benefits from additional film study than the starting quarterback. Immersion in video was one reason why Kent Austin was so productive as the Roughriders' starting quarterback, and that absorption also served him well during one magical season as the team's head coach.

Durant was a CFL sophomore when the Austin-led Roughriders won the 2007 Grey Cup. Clearly, the Austin influence has rubbed off.

"I've definitely been evaluating myself,'' Durant said. "I've watched our past three games just to see what's been going on and see what I can improve on and try to make sure I don't continue to make the mistakes that I've been making.''

Durant has been a microcosm of his team, in that there have been successes and struggles. Saskatchewan has a 4-4-0 record entering the Labour Day Classic, a Sept. 6 date with the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Roughriders are to visit Winnipeg one week later for the Banjo Bowl.

"I'm pretty caught up on Winnipeg and how to attack those guys,'' said Durant, who watches two hours of film per day in addition to working out at Mosaic Stadium. "Hopefully what I've been looking at matches the coaches' game plan.''

The game plan was inspired in many respects for the Roughriders' Aug. 21 game against the league-leading Montreal Alouettes, who won 34-25. Durant repeatedly scorched the Alouettes on deep passes, only to end up lamenting the Roughriders' fourth defeat in a six-game span.

"You always want to go into a bye on a good note with a win, but we played a good game out there in Montreal,'' Durant said. "We have a lot to build on. We just have to take the positives from that game and just try to get better.''

Durant threw two touchdown passes in Montreal while amassing 326 aerial yards, but was also intercepted three times. After eight games, he has thrown as many TD passes (11) as interceptions.

"Overall, I'm pleased with the way I've progressed,'' Durant said. "I'm pleased with a lot of the things that I've been doing. I feel like if you take back four or five throws this season, it changes our record and it changes the way I critique myself. If I can limit the mistakes and don't try to force it too much, a sack is always better than an interception.

"Those are the little things that I have to get better at. This week is helping me just focus in on those things and make sure I make a conscious effort to do that.''

The extra effort of this past week should help along the way.

"We've got a tough schedule coming up but we know the type of team we are,'' Durant concluded. "If we play to our abilities, then it'll be tough for anybody in the league to beat us.''

rvanstone@leaderpost.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post