Riders running back Jamal Morrow shared bond with George Reed

The Saskatchewan Roughriders returned to practise Tuesday with the loss of George Reed hanging over Mosaic Stadium.

“Even the guys that didn’t know him, there was a sense of sadness and mourning today, so we talked a little bit about George this morning and really allowed people to talk about it and express themselves and how they were feeling,” head coach Craig Dickenson said.

The Riders are preparing for a showdown on Saturday against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The organization will honour Reed as well as the 2013 Grey Cup championship team for Legend’s night. Kickoff for the game is 5 p.m.

Reed was one of the CFL’s all-time greats, with the fullback holding numerous records when he retired after his 13-year career. He died on Sunday, leaving a void not just in the CFL but all of Saskatchewan. 

“It’s incredibly sad. I was fortunate enough to meet him in 2019 – my first year here – and JO (general manager Jeremy O’Day) pulled me aside and said I want you to meet somebody,” said Riders running back Jamal Morrow. 

Morrow and Reed share a connection in that both were running backs with the Washington State Cougars.

“We had a hall of fame on our wall … his name was on there. Once I was able to put a face to his name, it was surreal,” Morrow said. “The more I’ve been here, the more I’ve done more research and it kind of motivated me to be a better person and a better player for this organization.”

Saskatchewan Roughriders tailback Jamal Morrow. (File photo courtesy of the Saskatchewan Roughriders)

Dickenson said it’s important to remember the greats who came before them.

“The message we try to give our players and the message we try to give ourselves and remind ourselves is we aren’t the first ones who did it,” Dickenson said. “We stand on the shoulders of the men who came before us and (Reed) was a giant of a man.

“All of our accomplishments or proud moments, we have to recognize that a lot of that was made possible by the George Reeds, the Ron Lancasters, the Roger Aldags of the world – the guys that came before us that I think created Rider Nation and I think we’re the beneficiaries of that.”

While the Riders honour the memory of one of it’s icons this week, the 2023 team is preparing for an important match-up with the Tiger-Cats as the Green and White look to get closer to clinching a playoff spot.

The Riders (6-9) have lost four straight games but have remained in third place in the CFL West Division.

“I think our guys are disappointed with how we’ve played lately,” Dickenson said. “We’ve made some moves this week in terms of reps that got some people’s attention. Guys sometimes react well to that and sometimes don’t react as well as they should.

“Today was kind of a slow day, and we’re hoping that tomorrow picks up. We’ve got a big game against a formidable opponent and we’ve got to be on our best to play with them and beat them.”

Notes: Linebacker Derrick Moncrief (shoudler), defensive back Jeremy Clark (knee), tackle Eric Lofton (illness) and Juwan Brescacin (illness) all missed practice Tuesday. Defensive back Deontai Williams (hamstring), running back Jamal Morrow (knee) and defensive end Anthony Lanier II (hip) all logged a full practice after missing last week’s game.