Defensive back Amari Henderson making strong statement at Rider camp

Defensive back Amari Henderson is gearing up for his second season in the CFL.

In 2022, Henderson appeared in 11 games for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He stayed on the bench for the first three weeks of the season, but was called into action in Week 4 and didn’t look back.

While he didn’t secure any interceptions in his rookie season, he made 31 tackles.

At training camp this year, Henderson has stood out from the crowd, making several interceptions and moving around the field faster and with more confidence than he did last season. Henderson credited his improvement to hard work during his off-season training.

“(I’ve been doing) a lot more film study – just knowing the routes and knowing what I’m getting into and play recognition – (and) being able to play a little faster, knowing where I need to be at and just going out there and having fun,” Henderson said after training camp at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon on Tuesday.

Over the course of the off-season, Henderson said he watched every 2022 Rider game in order to get a better feel for the Canadian game heading into this season.

He said he’s carried that habit right into training camp this year.

“I usually watch the film right after practice to see what I can harp on and improve on,” Henderson explained. “(I like to see) the wide receivers’ tendencies, quarterback tendencies and things like that to help me out so I can play a little bit faster.”

According to Henderson, his film study habits have been going strong ever since he played college football at Wake Forest in 2019. He said he loves to learn.

The defensive back said the veteran players in the locker room continue to be a big help when it comes to learning the nuances of the Canadian game.

“The vets help me out, because it’s a different game with the waggle and everything like that — guys like Nic Marshall, (Derrick) Moncrief, even Mike Edem last year,” Henderson explained. “We love helping each other out and giving each other pointers and tips. That’s what helped me out.”

With a year of experience under his belt and a lot of hard work put in during the off-season, Henderson has set some big goals for himself, hoping to become a breakout star on the defensive side of the football.

“I want to be a CFL all-star and just be a ballhawk, be a playmaker, be highly productive and be consistent on being productive. That’s really my goals,” Henderson stated.

Training camp update

The pace at training camp on Tuesday was noticeably higher than it was last week when the team strapped on the pads.

Quarterback Trevor Harris got the majority of the reps as he prepares to play in his first pre-season game as a Roughrider on Friday against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Harris spent a lot of time targeting receivers Derel Walker and Jake Wieneke. On one play, Harris was able to hit Walker with a throw from beyond 40 yards.

Quarterbacks Shea Patterson, Mason Fine and Jake Dolegala also took a decent number of reps at practice Tuesday. They were clearly not afraid to take looks down the field and try hitting receivers for big plays.

Kelly Jeffery is in his first season as the offensive co-ordinator with the Roughriders after he replaced Jason Maas over the winter. Jeffery said he was pleased with what he’s seen from the offence after the first pre-season game, Saturday’s 30-27 victory over the B.C. Lions.

“I liked the balance. Eight or nine different guys caught the ball. I saw some different backs show what they could do, and each quarterback kind of had their moment. I liked the efficiency, overall, of the offence,” Jeffery said.

“I thought we were really good, and that’s what we want it to look like when we get it going.”

Jeffery added he’s excited to see his offensive system get put into place at training camp, and said the team is responding well to the new ideas.

“The day I got the job, I was putting pen to paper trying to come up with an ideal offence. It’s some new ideas, new terminology, a new vision for how we want to do things,” Jeffery said.

“It takes a little bit longer, but you can see it in the guys as they start to light up and start to feel how it looks. It’s exciting.”

Head coach Craig Dickenson said he noticed the offence for all the right reasons on Tuesday.

“(On Monday), I think I mentioned the offence struggled a little bit against some tough looks from the defence, and I really thought (Tuesday) was a bounceback day for the offence,” Dickenson explained.

“Whatever the coaches told them (Monday) night sure made a difference. All in all, it was a really good day.”

Offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins wasn’t on the field Tuesday. Dickenson said Hawkins was absent because he had to return home to attend to a family matter.