Duke Williams has first practice as a Roughrider
Wide receiver Duke Williams joined his new team on the field for the first time on Tuesday.
The wide receiver isn’t a stranger to the CFL, but he is new to the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ roster, coming off of three seasons with the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills.
Before heading south of the border, he played with Edmonton from 2017 to 2019.
Williams said after practice it will only take him a couple of days to get back in to the rhythm of Canadian football.
“That was the main thing today, is I’ve got to slow the game down in my head,” said Williams. “I wasn’t moving too fast today and I’m going to watch film and learn from my mistakes I made today and make sure I correct that tomorrow for practice.”
Quarterback Cody Fajardo said Williams’ veteran status brings an expertise to the team.
“You can tell when he’s talking to guys about routes, waggles, and he’s very acceptable to criticism or coaching, which is really big when you get a big time receiver or a guy with the resume he’s got,” Fajardo said.
Named a CFL All Star while with Edmonton, Williams said he is ready to do what he does best, which is getting open and catching the football.
“Whatever they’re slacking in I’m here to pick that up and do my part and make plays whenever the ball comes my way and take it one play at a time,” said Williams.
“We’ve been on a three game losing streak and we’re looking to turn that around against Calgary on Saturday night.”
At his first practice as a Rider, Williams was running plays alongside Shaq Evans, who is recovering from a broken foot suffered in Week 2.
Evans said Williams is a proven player in the league who is coming back from the NFL hungry and ready to contribute.
“He definitely brings another big play element to our offence, he’s a guy that brings great energy, he’s intense and I love his game,” said Evans, a fellow wide receiver.
Head coach Craig Dickenson said the team is hopeful both the receivers will be ready to play this weekend against the Stampeders.
He called Williams tough, physical and committed to his craft.
“We signed him for a reason. We think he’s a good football player and can help us win games and we’re planning on putting him out there and letting him do his thing,” said Dickenson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.