Whether it has been on defence or on special teams, CFL opponents have felt the impact of Saskatchewan Roughrider’s defensive halfback Rolan Milligan.
On the Monday’s edition of the SportsCage, Riders Head Coach Craig Dickenson said the team likes DBs who can cover, but they love DBs who can cover and tackle and Dickenson feels Milligan fits that description. The former Indianapolis Colt says that he takes a lot of pride in being a sure tackler. “Whenever I’m given an opportunity to make a tackle my teammates know the guy is going to get on the ground and I take pride in that.”
He notes that willingness is very important when making a tackle and Milligan believe it’s an ability that he contains.
A second year veteran of the Riders, Milligan feels he is one of many leaders on the green and white defence. “I’ve been playing ball for awhile so I got some input, we got some vets in our secondary too, Mike (Edem), Moncrief, Nick (Marshall) who play a lot of ball as well, I don’t have to say too much, if I feel like if I need to say something, I’ll say something”
The Riders secondary have been responsible for some huge hits early in the 2022 season, Jeremy Clark delivered a big blow against Montreal that forced a fumble. The defensive halfback says Clark is a player does not mind mixing it up. “He’s a smart individual we watch a lot of film together, we talk about coverages, he gets moved around so I work with him sometimes too, he’s a very good player.”
Saturday’s game marked the debut for Amari Henderson at halfback. The former Demon Deacon collected a fumble recovery in his first action with Saskatchewan. Milligan has big expectations for Henderson “A lot of guys down south come here and they’re a little shook, me personally my first game I was all over the place, he looked comfortable, made a few plays, some big plays for us, I expected that out of him to be honest.”
The defensive halfback has enjoyed playing in front of Rider nation, noting it’s easy to feed off the fan support. “I love the atmosphere, we have a lot of fans in the stands, and they’re rowdy and loud, and they back us, it’s good to have that fan base behind us to support us whether we win or lose.”
One of the similarities Riderville has with football fans south of the border is the passion according to Milligan. “When fans are passionate, they’re passionate, no matter the team where you are playing at when people are behind you and backing you it’s good for your organization.”
This week’s matchup against the Redblacks will be the first chance for Saskatchewan to play under the lights at Mosaic Stadium. Milligan is just grateful for another chance to play football. “I love playing football, every opportunity is a blessing, whether it’s daytime, nighttime, rain, sleet, snow, it really don’t matter. I love having the opportunity.”
Friday night football will take place at Mosaic Stadium this week with the Riders hosting Ottawa. Opening kickoff on 620 CKRM is 7:30.
