When it comes to Saskatchewan Roughriders running back Quali Conley’s performance against the Edmonton Elks last Saturday, his reverse hurdle got all the attention.
And for good reason. It was a spectacular display of athleticism and resulted in a 12-yard gain, his longest run of the game.
CFL analyst Glen Suitor said he immediately started getting texts from friends while on the air during the TSN broadcast that Conley’s backwards leap was just like a move Saquon Barkley once pulled off in the NFL.
Compare for yourself.
https://x.com/CFL/status/2083732614150783016
https://x.com/FootbaIIism/status/1853196723859882161
After giving the tailback his flowers for his jaw-dropping jump on Tuesday’s edition of the SportsCage, Suitor switched gears to something far less glamourous about Conley’s game – an underrated but imperative skill that he’s improving.
“I would say that for when you have a quarterback like Trevor Harris … it’s a higher priority to be a great blocker than it is to be a great runner,” Suitor said. “If you can run the ball better than anybody but can’t block, you’re not making the lineup. It’s as simple as that. You’ve got to be able to step in there.
“I actually did some telestrator work in the broadcast with Conley’s blocking. There was a couple of times where he picked up the blitz nicely – one time when he hit a defender around waist height, and he just flipped right over top of him, (which) allowed Trevor to throw the ball.
“I noticed a couple of times that he picked up blocks and he chipped on the edge and helped his offensive tackles, offensive linemen.”
Last Saturday’s 28-26 win in Edmonton was just Conley’s third CFL contest. The 23-year-old CFL rookie was also used in games in Week 2 and 3 as an injury replacement for A.J. Ouellette.
Ouellette is only one game into his stint on the six-game injury list, so Conley should get a long run to showcase his abilities. Conley’s highlight-reel hop helped him have his most productive outing so far with 61 yards on 14 carries.
But it’s his continued progression as a blocker that’ll keep the 5-foot-10, 211-pound back in the lineup and find another level in this league. In the interim, it’ll at least help them manage while Ouellette is sidelined.
“I’m not saying Conley at this point is better than A.J. when it comes to blocking, but you can see that this is a priority for him as well,” Suitor said.
