Saskatchewan Roughrider quarterback Brandon Bridge says he’s ready to earn the starting pivot job.
The Canadian-born quarterback knows success means leading the team to the Grey Cup.
“I think it’s all or nothing,” he told Yorkton This Week during an interview Saturday when he was in the city for the 12th annual Football Night in Saskatchewan event.
Bridge said the Roughriders came close to being in the Grey Cup last season and the logical progression is to find a way into the Canadian Football League final this time.
Bridge, who started only one game last season, but showed well in relief, feels he is ready to take the helm. Last year’s starting quarterback Kevin Glenn is no longer in the picture, now with Edmonton, so the door appeared open, until the ‘Riders signed free agent Zach Collaros, setting up a competition for the starting job.
Bridge said having spent time with Glenn as a mentor will help him in the battle with Collaros.
“Working with Kevin Glenn, he showed me how to be a pro,” he said, adding that means simply going about your business to earn the job.
From the perspective of the Roughrider head coach Chris Jones, Bridge said the message is pretty clear.
“He just wants us to come in and push each other,” he said.
Bridge said he is ready to do that and to be supportive of Collaros in any way he can for the good of the team.
However, later that evening, during a ‘hot stove’ session in front of those attending the event Bridge said he realizes the ‘Riders are ultimately only big enough for one of the two quarterbacks, suggesting the starter returns in 2019, and the back-up moves on after this season to explore other options. He wants to be the one who stays.
“I think I definitely showed I can be a number one,” he said, adding even when he was put into games where the team was not playing well, he made things happen.
As for Collaros, he said the two have found common ground in their interest with basketball, although he is more of a Toronto Raptors fan than his counterpart.
Along the way to earning the starting job, Bridge also wants to improve things for Canadian quarterbacks in the CFL, suggesting a Canadian league should be doing more to enhance opportunities for players at the premium position.
Under present rules, the reality is that the road for Canadian quarterbacks is difficult and that has to be discouraging to young players at quarterback level, said Bridge.
Even in his own experience, the first CFL teams to show an interest in him wanted to move him to receiver noting his good hands. Bridge said his counterpoint was that as quarterback, he would be handling the ball every play.
So, Bridge waits for the opening of training camp, now only days away.
“I’m just going to go in there and focus on what I can focus on … my own craft,” he said in the “hot stove.” “It’s the same approach every training camp that’s got me where I am.”
Ultimately, Bridge said he just wants to perform at the position he knows he can excel at.
“I just want to play football for a long time and be in a place where I’m wanted,” he said.
