‘It’s definitely more of a challenge:’ L.J. McCray set for CFL debut

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will have a new face in the secondary as the team tries to stop B.C. Lions quarterback Mike Reilly for the second straight game.

Cornerback L.J. McCray will make his CFL debut, replacing Solomon Means on the team’s depth chart.

“I take on every challenge with pride. I want to do my best every time I’m out there,” McCray said after practice Thursday at Mosaic Stadium.

Reilly threw for 346 yards and a late touchdown in the Roughriders 38-25 win at Mosaic Stadium on July 20.

The secondary was able to pick off a pass when defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy intercepted Reilly in the fourth quarter.

The rematch is on Saturday in Vancouver. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.

McCray played 22 games in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers from 2014-15.

He was traded to the Seattle Seahawks but failed a physical examination so it was voided. He was waived by the 49ers in September 2015.

He was signed to the Carolina Panthers to a reserve contract but was placed on the injured reserved list and would be released in 2017.

In 2018, he spent time on the Buffalo Bills practice roster but was released in August.

McCray said there was always interest from the Roughriders early in the year, despite him not going to a camp. He signed with the team in April this past off-season.

“(The Roughriders) are taking a chance on me. It’s not me taking a chance on them, (the team) has been around for years,” McCray said.

“I’m excited for that. I’m so glad for this opportunity.

I’ve been waiting to be on this field and be with a group of guys who consider each other brothers and take (football) seriously.”

McCray said he always knew the CFL could be an option for him, knowing other players who had gone to tryouts or made teams.

“I just didn’t know that the style of play was this much different until I got out here and experienced it for myself,” McCray said.

“It’s definitely a different type of football but it’s still football. It makes it harder. It’s definitely more of a challenge (in the CFL.)”

He said his time in the NFL will help him adjust but he knows a new challenge awaits him on the CFL field.

“I’ve got to experience some things and see some things (other players haven’t) but at the same time, this is a new game so I need to show the same respect to this game,” McCray said.

Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson said McCray had a good week of practice and brings NFL experience to the defensive back group.

“Any time that you can bring game experience at the pro-level to the team, that’s a good thing,” Dickenson said.

“We knew L.J. Would get a shot at some point, we just didn’t know when.”

Dickenson said the change to McCray came because the team felt Means wasn’t making plays at the position.

“He’s had some good games but when it came time to make a play at the point of attack, he just hasn’t made them,” Dickenson said.

“It doesn’t mean he won’t or can’t but he just hasn’t yet. It’s up to (Means) to practice well enough and make plays in practice to convince us to put him back out there.”

A battle Roughrider fans will keep an eye on is between Roughriders defensive back Nick Marshall and Lions receiver Duron Carter.

Carter, who played two seasons (2017, 2018) with the Roughriders, and Marshall were often in each other’s faces and played physically when the two were matched up together.

There was a play where Marshall threw Carter to the ground after driving him out of bounds in their first meeting.

“I was just caught up in the game and I didn’t know he was almost out of bounds. I was just trying to make a play for my team,” Marshall said. “I didn’t really mean it intentionally.”

Marshall said he’s not focused on what happened between the two with the rematch coming up.

“We’re focused  more on us and what we’ve got to do and get better at to stop them on offence,” Marshall said.

Dickenson wants his players to play hard but wants them to do it between the whistles.

“If it goes outside of the whistles, that’s not team-first behaviour so we don’t want that.”

Dickenson said he’s not too worried about what happened between Marshall and Carter.

“Those guys are buddies. It’s like brothers out there fighting in the backyard,” Dickenson said. “(Marshall) knows we want to talk with our pads and let our play do the talking.”

The Roughriders (2-3) are looking to put some space between the two teams, with the Lions (1-5) sitting at the bottom of the West Division.

Offensive lineman Dariusz Bladek will begin at left guard for the Roughriders. Offensive lineman Philip Blake broke his leg early in the July 20 game.

Wide receiver Justin McInnis left practice early Thursday due to an injury. Former University of Regina Rams wide receiver Mitch Picton has been added to the active roster.

The Green Zone pregame show gets underway at 3 p.m.