Saskatchewan Roughriders running back Quali Conley got off to the start one would expect from a rookie taking his first snaps in the CFL.
Back in Week 4 against the Toronto Argonauts, Conley came off the practice roster when starter A.J. Ouellette suffered an ankle injury and put together a decent outing, running eight times for 50 yards and his first career touchdown in a 40-24 Toronto win.
Now, the Roughriders are preparing to face the Argos for the second time this season at Mosaic Stadium — and it’s safe to say things are a bit different than they were back then for the Fresno, Calif., product.
“Over the past couple of weeks, I feel like I've grown as a running back in this league, but I feel like there's a lot more for me to grow in,” Conley told the Voice of the Roughriders Dave Thomas after a recent practice. “It’s slowing down for me, but at moments, it's also moving a lot faster. So just trying to make everything slow down.”
Conley had a second serviceable start against Ottawa in Week 5, but spent the next two contests on the practice roster. And then came ‘That’ game.
The former Arizona Wildcats standout went off against the Edmonton Elks, getting 14 carries for 61 yards, another five catches for 36 yards and a handful of highlight reel plays, including a reverse hurdle that drew international attention.
A knee injury in the next game slowed his progress somewhat, and all told at this point of the season, Conley has 48 carries for 224 yards rushing in five games and another 14 catches for 71 yards.
Seeing his game improve as much as it has since the start of the campaign has naturally been a positive for the 23-year-old rookie.
“I think it just gives me more confidence in myself and also the o-line,” Conley said. “I feel like knowing I could make those runs put in more confidence in myself and for my teammates, put more trust into me running the ball.”
A major part of Conley’s growth has been game preparation, and not just watching film to get a general feel for the defence, but individual players and how they go about their business.
“Ultimately, I feel like it's the individual because at any given moment, it's one-on-one with me or one of the defenders,” Conley said. “So I feel like I have to study them on how they tackle and what they do to tackle.”
The hope is that all of it will make a difference on Saturday night against the Argonauts, especially as Saskatchewan looks to snap their two-game losing skid.
“I feel like our preparation this week has been big,” Conley said. “We locked in on the little details and if we stop shooting ourselves in the foot, I feel like we'll be good.”
The Rider Broadcast Network will have all the action on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. with the pregame show on Saturday. The Voice of the Roughriders Dave Thomas will then have the game call, with kickoff at 5 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.
