Jayden Dalke has the will to play Will.
Hence the successful transition from safety to weak-side linebacker — or Will, in football coaches’ parlance — for the fourth-year Saskatchewan Roughrider.
“I’ve obviously been a late bloomer, so I’m growing into the spot, I feel,” said the hard-hitting Dalke, 29.
“Definitely, the aggression helps, and I think I’m a good tackler. Once I get the eyes and footwork down, I think I’ll make a good linebacker.”
Dalke, from Leduc, Alta., had played weak-side linebacker for brief periods in the Prairie Football Conference (with the Edmonton Wildcats) and Canada West (University of Alberta Golden Bears) before being selected by Saskatchewan in the sixth round (54th overall) of the 2022 CFL Draft.
As a rookie with the Roughriders, he was listed as a strong-side linebacker for 15 of the 18 regular-season games. He was a safety for the other three.
Dalke was the starting safety for most of 2023, registering one interception, two forced fumbles and 41 special teams tackles in 14 games.
In 2024, he had 10 defensive tackles, one sack and a forced fumble in 16 games.
This year, he has four special teams tackles in three games — all Roughriders victories — while striving to master a new position on defence.
“It was a quite a shock when we first started going,” Dalke said with a laugh. “When I look back at Day 1 (of Coors Light Training Camp) and my footwork as a Will, it looked a lot like a free safety that was just in the box.
“Fortunately, I had some guys who would be patient with me.”
The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder appreciates the tutelage from with Linebackers Coach Travis Brown and pointers that have been received from Football Operations Co-ordinator Larry Dean, the latter of whom was a standout middle linebacker before moving into his current role in 2024.
“Thankfully, L.D. is still looking out for me,” Dalke said. “On the sideline, he’ll be, ‘Hey, you’ve got to drop your stance and get a little lower.’
“I’m starting to transition better.”
The Roughriders’ Head Coach is quick to concur.
“Dalks is somebody who could honestly play Sam (strong-side linebacker),” Corey Mace said. “He could play Will. He could play free safety. He can do a lot of stuff for us defensively. He opens up a lot of sub packages for us.
“He has been tremendous. He’s got the brain of a coach, which is awesome out there. With any injuries that happen, we’ve got flexibility defensively with having a guy like him on the roster.
“I’m very pleased with him. He has been playing his tail off at practice and he has been doing a good job on special teams as well. I’m happy with the year he has had to this point.”
Mace’s “brain of a coach” appraisal is seconded by the Roughriders’ Special Teams Co-ordinator. Kent Maugeri told CKRM’s SportsCage earlier this week that “special teams-wise, Dalke is as smart as anybody I’ve worked with.”
Dalke smiled when those words were relayed to him.
“I want to perform well for him,” he said. “I want to perform well for him. He instills a lot of trust in me, so I want to keep proving that I am that guy for him.
“It’s very nice coming from him, because he’s a hell of a coach.”
QUARTERBACK QUESTION
The mystery continues as to who will start at quarterback for the Roughriders on Saturday against the B.C. Lions (5 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
Trevor Harris participated in practice on Thursday after sitting out the previous two sessions due to illness and a head injury.
Jake Maier took first-team reps at quarterback on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday’s practice was closed to reporters.
“This was a big one today,” Mace said when asked about Harris on Thursday. “We played it smart.
“We want to make sure that we’re taking care of it, but to have him come back out here was big-time for us.”
However, Mace said it may come down to a “game-time decision,” adding: “We’ve got to watch the tape and see from there first.”
Harris was listed as questionable on Thursday’s injury report.
