Words by Daniella Ponticelli
Being the starting quarterback of the Saskatchewan Roughriders has long been a goal for Trevor Harris.
On Wednesday, the 36-year-old toured Mosaic Stadium with his wife, Kalie. Outside, amid a snowy backdrop, the largest outdoor screen in Canada proudly displayed the news of the quarterback’s signing.
“I told my wife in 2015, when I was playing for Toronto, I said, ‘I’d love to be the quarterback for the Riders someday’,” Harris said, adding he came close to signing with the team in 2019.
“So this is a dream come true. Something I’ve always wanted and something you long for when you come into the league. You invite the high expectations, the pressure.”
While the two-time Grey Cup Champion admits to not being in the “business of promising wins,” he is making early goals for Rider fans — starting with a trusting locker room and a championship mindset.
“I can promise you that they’re going to get a team that’s united, that loves one another, that’s giving all-out effort,” he said, adding that the focus needs to be on process over results.
“If you surrender the outcome and just focus on the day-to-day work, that’s where the true magic can happen.”
Harris described himself as a “Christian man at heart,” with faith as his No. 1 priority and the holy spirit guiding him in this process through gut instinct.
“I wanted to trust that gut instinct and not second-guess myself,” Harris said about signing so quickly with the Riders on free agency day.
“I’ll never take for granted being the quarterback of this franchise. Truly look forward to the challenge and the work ahead.”
Home sweet home 🌾 💚 pic.twitter.com/s0yMdoDgod
— Saskatchewan Roughriders (@sskroughriders) February 15, 2023
Best Years Ahead
Harris signed a two-year contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Feb. 14, a decision he said was finalized between him and his family on Sunday. After notifying the Alouettes of his intentions, he got to work calling other players to help recruit.
“This is not a three-year project. This is something that we want to come in and hit the ground running and win now,” he said.
When asked about the offensive line issues that seemed to plague the team last year, and culminated in a league record for QB sacks allowed, Harris said there are a number of factors at play.
“Sometimes a quarterback can hold on to the ball too long. Sometimes the offensive line has a miscue, sometimes they get beat, sometimes the receivers are covered up and those are called coverage sacks,” he explained.
“It’s my job and duty to make sure that I’m getting the ball out of my hands quickly, making quick decisions, being efficient with the football, moving the chains, staying on the field, giving our defence a break.”
Harris is coming off an exceptional 2022 season with the Alouettes that saw the team win its first playoff game since 2014.
He initially went to Montreal in 2021, in a trade with the Edmonton Elks, a team he signed with in February 2019.
Prior to his time in the Alberta capital, Harris spent six seasons in the east division with the Toronto Argonauts and the Ottawa REDBLACKS (2012-18).
Over his lengthy CFL career, Harris has played a total of 161 games, making 2,385 completions for 28,610 yards, 154 touchdowns and an average 8.5 yards per completion.
Still, Harris believes his best days are ahead. When asked about his meticulous fitness regimen, the veteran player said he never wants physical barriers to be the reason he stops playing.
“That’s really been my vision with that is just trying to make sure that I can stay in my prime for long enough to where the desire to play the game goes away before my physical deterioration,” he said.
“One year at a time. But to be honest with you, I don’t see an end in sight … I feel like my best years are directly ahead of me.”
Harris, Kalie and their two children, six-year-old Trenton and two-year-old Trace, will live together throughout the season in Regina. Kalie is currently five-months pregnant with the couple’s third child.
