Saskatchewan Roughriders' 2025 first-round CFL Draft pick, defensive lineman Ali Saad is eager to dive headfirst into learning the Canadian game.
"Coach told me if I wanted to sit out or take it easy today… I told him, no, I'm trying to go," Saad explained. "I'm trying to go be with the guys. I'm trying to learn something new, I'm already behind. I need to get out there, I need to get on the field. I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't hit anybody in a while."
Saad attended San Francisco 49ers rookie mini-camp from May 9 through 10.
"It's been hectic, I ended up getting here really late. Coach took me in, got me the playbook and trying to catch me up," Saad detailed. "Didn't really have time to process it, threw me out here to test the water. Everything went well. The whole process has been hectic, with the signing, the rookie camp and all that stuff."
Riders' head coach Corey Mace is willing to have patience for the rookie.
"It's going to take some reps for him to get used to that and then also understand what we've got going on as it pertains to the Canadian game and line play. He landed last night and got with the coach. He was up probably till midnight trying to learn the playbook so that he could get out here and have an idea," Mace said.
"I thought he showed well. There will be a few mistakes, but you give him a little bit of grace. He's been here for less than 24 hours, but he showed really well in the one-on-one pass rush as well. He's certainly the guy that we expected to see. His will to put in the time with his coaches to make sure that he can catch us up, he's already got that, so we don't have to drag him to do anything. He wanted to do it, so he didn't want to miss the practice even though he had gotten in late last night. He sacrificed a little bit of sleep to make sure that he could go out and get after it."
During his post-secondary career, the six-foot-two, 282-pound defensive lineman spent four years with Bowling Green State University. Last year, he played 13 games and recorded 40 tackles plus five sacks. Saad made sure to explain one aspect of his game that he is proud about.
"I'm a great motivator, I like to lead by example. Coming here, my aggressiveness and physicality are something that I can bring to the table for sure — that will change the game," Saad explained. "I'm a guy that can move all around in different positions and I feel I could have a huge impact."
