First-year head coach Corey Mace has emphasized a family-first atmosphere in Regina since he was hired last year. During training camp, he wanted Roughriders from different positions to bond with one another and for players to spend time with one another away from Mosaic Stadium.
Watch Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Final LIVE Saturday at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on TSN1/3, TSN.ca and the TSN App.
“Brotherhood,” Mace repeated after Thursday’s practice. “They actually, actually care for one another. That was important to us in pushing that and making sure that these guys are spending time together that has nothing to do with football, getting to know each other off the field, getting to know each other families, understanding what makes each guy tick.”
Mace, a former defensive lineman in the NFL and CFL who won a Grey Cup as a player (2014) and two as a coach with the Stampeders and Argonauts (2018, 2022), feels that bonds forged away from the game are critical in developing a culture of community, respect, and accountability, which translates onto the football field.
“You encourage guys to sit next to each other that you normally wouldn’t sit with, have lunch or dinner [with them],” he said. “I’m asking certain guys questions about somebody else [to get to know them better].”
Veteran linebacker Jameer Thurman was named to the All-CFL team this year and was a part of Calgary’s 2018 Grey Cup champion team with Mace. He said that creating that brotherhood is simple.
“Look out for each other, be there for each other, meeting outside of the facilities,” he said. “Understanding what guys are going through throughout the season.”
Bonding away from the stadium has been key. Early in the season, a group of Roughriders played paintball together.
“If I showed up there, I'm going to get all the targets,” Mace said, laughing. “The guys had a heck of a time.”
During the Summer Olympics, the team had a friendly Canada vs. U.S. competition in ping-pong and lawn games like cornhole.
“We made our own Olympics here,” Mace said. “We do everything to compete and bond together. It’s been really cool to see.”
Mace said that if teams don’t have those deep bonds, adversity can be that much more challenging to overcome.
“In adverse situations, guys start finger-pointing and turning on each other,” Mace said. “They don’t have trust or belief in each other.”
Those relationships have been tested this season. The Riders had a seven-game winless streak in the middle of the season, with five of the six losses decided by a handful of points. Looking back, Mace is impressed with how businesslike the club was during that two-month stretch between victories.
“Teams that that don't have that belief and strength in each other, I think that that's the time when they fold,” Mace said. “These guys never bounce backwards. They've never lost faith, regardless of what anybody else was saying.”
Thurman said players never wavered in their approach.
“Guys were always trying to figure out what more that we can do,” he said. “It was just one or two plays in all of those games that we were losing. Guys were just trying to harp on the small details.”
Mace added that players refused to blame one another.
“There wasn't any finger-pointing,” he said. “It was easy to come into work because you didn't have to pull any teeth to get people to do anything extra.”
Thurman credited Mace for his leadership in his rookie season as a head coach in the CFL.
“His voice, his presence, he commands a room,” Thurman said. “People feel that energy from the person that’s leading us.”
That brotherhood will go against the league’s marquee franchise on Saturday. The Bombers have been to four consecutive championship games, but have lost the past two Grey Cups. The Roughriders are trying to advance to their first Grey Cup since 2013, when they won the title at home in Regina.
Mace and Thurman firmly believe that the relationships the club has cultivated with one another can lead to an upset at Princess Auto Stadium.
“When you're out here on the field, you're playing for your brother, no matter what matter the moment is,” Thurman said.
Mace said he has drawn inspiration from leagues beyond the CFL, including the National Hockey League and English Premier League. He watched Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice’s press conferences during last season’s playoffs and studied how he handled the pressure of the moment. Mace said there are similarities among championship teams in different sports.
“It’s about the guys in the locker room,” Mace said. “This group of guys has been outstanding…I watch a lot of championship games in every single sport and [the brotherhood] seems to be the main glue piece. It means something.”
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