Josh Harris is obviously a quick study.
The 26-year-old running back, who signed with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sept. 6, already has been activated off the practice roster for Sunday’s game against the Calgary Stampeders at Mosaic Stadium.
Harris, who had a stint in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers before spending time with the CFL’s B.C. Lions, immersed himself in the Roughriders’ playbook after arriving in Saskatchewan. Two weeks later, he has learned it so well that he’s expected to start ahead of Kienan LaFrance.
“Usually, as soon as you start camp, you learn (the offence) a few weeks at a time, but I had to learn the whole offence at once,” Harris said after Saturday’s walkthrough.
“I really saw it as something that can show them that, ‘OK, he’s new, but he really showed he can see something on the fly and be able to have it not just in the classroom but as soon as we step out here (on the field).’ ’’
Harris played collegiately at Wake Forest University, where he rushed 489 times for 2,230 yards and 19 touchdowns and added 47 receptions for 304 yards over four seasons.
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound product of Duncanville, Texas, played five games with the Steelers in 2014 and rushed nine times for 16 yards.
He signed with B.C. in October of 2016 and spent the remainder of that season on the practice roster. He was on the Lions’ injured list for the first six games of the 2017 campaign before being released July 26.
Now he’s getting an audition with the Roughriders, who will be without starting tailback Cameron Marshall for a third straight game Sunday.
“I see this as just trying to make sure I’m doing all the things that I should do,” Harris said. “At the end of the day, I’m not sure if I will play next week or the week after that, so I’m just worried about going out on the field and doing everything I can do right now so the team can say, ‘We have a guy who’s new, but he has shown that he can do all the good things that we need him to do.’ ”
Harris hasn’t had a lot of time with the starting offensive line, so they may not have developed a lot of chemistry. Nor has he blocked for quarterback Kevin Glenn in game situations.
Harris isn’t concerned.
“I really don’t want to even try to say, ‘Here’s something I’m worried about,’ ” he said. “I try to make sure that I’ll be able to do all the things that need to be done at the position that I’m in as soon as I’m on the field.”
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Like Harris, Emmanuel Adusei is set to make his Roughriders debut Sunday.
The 21-year-old product of London, Ont., has been activated off the practice roster and will play on kickoff returns and will back up along both the offensive and defensive lines.
“Hearing my name getting called (by the coaches), my first opportunity in the CFL at the age of 21, I can’t let this go away,” said Adusei, a 6-foot-2, 350-pounder. “It has been in my head since my name was called.
“I’ve been in my playbooks extra — like, all night — and I’ve been praying about it. I just can’t wait for it.”
Adusei played defensive tackle at Carleton University, but Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones told him at the combine that the Roughriders would like to see him play on the offensive line. After Saskatchewan selected Adusei in the seventh round (57th overall) of the 2017 CFL draft, the transformation began.
He went back and forth across the line of scrimmage during training camp and during practices — and he’ll do the same if necessary on Sunday.
“I’ve got a basic knowledge of the defence and a good knowledge of the offence,” Adusei said. “I’m learning behind some great vets, so I can’t complain.”
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The Roughriders woke up Saturday with a tighter hold on fourth place in the West Division than they had Friday afternoon.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats helped out Saskatchewan on Friday night, defeating the Lions 24-23 in Vancouver. The Roughriders (6-5-0) and Lions (6-7-0) remain tied for fourth, but Saskatchewan has the tiebreaking edge on B.C. after winning the season series.
The Roughriders also are two points back of the Edmonton Eskimos (7-5-0) in the race for third place in the West. Edmonton has a bye this week.
With everything that’s going on in the division, Jones was asked if he talks with his team about the need to keep pace.
“When you put yourselves in a hole like we have, you don’t need to say anything,” said Jones, whose team lost its first two games and four of its first six before rallying.
“You look at the standings and when you’re at the bottom of the standings, there’s not going to be a lot of leeway. There are tremendous football teams (in the West), so you’ve got to go out and handle your business every week.”
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The Stampeders go into Sunday’s game with the CFL’s stingiest defence in terms of points (17.0 point per game), opponents’ offensive touchdowns (19) and opponents’ passing touchdowns (12).
The Roughriders managed only 10 points, 13 first downs and 220 yards of net offence in their 27-10 loss in Calgary on July 22, so more production is required Sunday.
“Their defence is predicated on offences not being patient and having those multiple-play drives,” Glenn said Saturday. “Most teams get frustrated and try to go up top and then that’s when stuff happens.
“If we can maintain the game plan of what we’re going to try to do, then we should be all right.”
