Draft pick Dabire looking to find a home with the Riders

Charbel Dabire has moved around a lot in his life and now he’s trying to find yet another home — this time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Saskatchewan’s fifth-round pick (44th overall) in the CFL draft wasn’t born in this country; he’s originally from the African nation of Burkina Faso.

“I moved to Canada when I was two and the biggest reason was my dad; he works for the United Nations, so we moved a lot,” Dabire, a 22-year-old defensive tackle, said Friday at Mosaic Stadium after Day 2 of the Riders’ rookie camp. “As a kid, we moved every one or two years because every time he got (a new posting) somewhere for more than a year, my whole family would move with him.

“I grew up in Canada; that’s what I know as home.”

All the moving around led him from Montreal to Calgary to Mississauga, Ont. It was in the Toronto suburb that Dabire got his chance to play football, even though he actually was getting ready to play soccer at his high school, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

“The principal mistook me for one of the football players and then she’s like, ‘Oh wait, you don’t play football?’ and then she introduced me to the coach,” Dabire said.

Dabire, who now stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 300 pounds, began his career as the high school team’s kicker and punter.

“They knew I was a goalkeeper so I used to have a good leg,” Dabire said. “So first I started as a kicker with kickoffs and stuff and then they were like, ‘Do you think you could try punts?’ I didn’t really know the technique, so I just booted it but it worked. Nobody really could kick it as far as me.”

After one year there, Dabire moved down to the United States to continue high school. From there, he wound up at Wagner College in New York City.

There, he piled up 73 tackles and two sacks in three seasons. He also excelled off the field and even was named homecoming king. But that’s a memory he might prefer to forget.

“The homecoming game against Sacred Heart, we got whooped, beat bad. I don’t know how it happened, but right after (the game) they called my name for homecoming king,” Dabire said. “As all my teammates were head down going to the locker room, I had to stand there with the fake smile with all the crown and everything. (It was) definitely a humiliating time.”

Now he has his sights set on playing for the Green and White.

“I got acclimated (Thursday) seeing how it worked and then on the second day, (I was) much more ready and knew what to expect,” Dabire said. “We had more D-linemen come in, so it was a much better atmosphere.”

He’s hoping to show the coaching staff he’s willing to do whatever it takes to learn the system.

“I think the most important things as a rookie is to come in and know you’re willing to learn and (show) effort, know that you’re willing to give whatever you’ve got no matter the circumstance,” Dabire said. “(You have to) know you’re here to work and you’re taking in the coaching and be coachable. That I think is the most important thing.”

That hard work appears to be paying early dividends for the D-lineman, because head coach Craig Dickenson has taken notice.

“I thought he’s had a good camp so far,” Dickenson said. “It’s hard to make a team as a rookie. Part of the advantage they have is coming to a camp like this (where) they get a bit of a headstart. He’s going to have to make some plays in camp and do well in the pre-season to make the team.”

Collaros, other quarterbacks present on Day 2

A few familiar faces made appearances on the second day of rookie camp. Veteran quarterbacks Zach Collaros, David Watford and Cody Fajardo were throwing passes to the rookies Friday.

“I thought they looked pretty good,” Dickenson said of the pivots. “The nice thing is just getting them out here, getting them with some of the rookies and allow the rookies to get a feel for who is going to be throwing the ball to them.”

Another veteran has been in the spotlight recently but not for the best of reasons: Dan Clark was injured in a car accident May 7.

Dickenson was able to provide an update on the centre’s status Friday.

“I talked with (Dan) three days ago; he looks well,” Dickenson said. “We’re going to take it slow with Dan and make sure he’s 100-per-cent good before he comes up (to Saskatoon), but all signs indicate that he will be able to practise.”

Main camp starts Sunday at Griffiths Stadium on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan.