Darian Durant: illegal CFL workout preceded trade to Saskatchewan Roughriders

Photo courtesy: Saskatchewan Roughriders

It took 20 years, but the true story behind how Darian Durant became a Saskatchewan Roughrider came out on The Sportscage.

His CFL rights were acquired by the Riders in a trade with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on April 12, 2006. What was previously unknown is Saskatchewan broke league rules by working Durant out before the deal was executed.

“I remember going to an illegal workout for (then-Roughriders general manager) Roy Shivers down in Atlanta, as I was on the (negotiation) list of another team,” Durant on The SportsCage.

“I wanted to get myself out there, show anyone, any team in any workout that I could possibly go to once I was released from the (Baltimore) Ravens. I wanted to be involved. Saskatchewan was having a workout in Atlanta. I knew that I was on the neg list of another team, and I went anyway.”

CFL teams can claim the rights to incoming American players by placing them on their exclusive negotiation list, often termed simply as their “neg list.” When a player is on a negotiation list, they are not permitted to participate in activities of any kind with other CFL teams, even if they’re unsigned.

Shivers certainly knew that rule, though it didn’t stop him from getting an up-close view of Saskatchewan’s eventual franchise quarterback in Atlanta. Durant couldn’t initially tell if Shivers was impressed by the workout, though the process apparently moved quickly once it was over.

“(Shivers) is a guy that’s always straight-faced, he doesn’t really show a lot of emotions. I knew I performed pretty well, but I didn’t know if I impressed because he kept the same demeanour. He really didn’t show any excitement, so I wasn’t sure,” Durant said.

“I spoke with my agent (after the workout) and he said, ‘Look, don’t worry, I think we have something brewing here.’ Then the announcement came and Roy brought me in, so that’s when I knew that I did enough to at least get into camp. That’s all I wanted was another opportunity to play, and he gave that to me, so I’m thankful for that.”

Shivers, who was hired as Saskatchewan’s general manager ahead of the 2000 season, was fired midway through Durant’s rookie year with the team at 4-5. He and team president Jim Hopson feuded openly, though Shivers indicated before his Roughriders’ Plaza of Honour induction in 2024 that he wished he’d handled the situation differently in hindsight.

Durant spent the next decade becoming one of the most iconic players in Riders history, taking over the full-time starting role in 2009. He threw for 28,507 yards, 149 touchdowns, and 99 interceptions over 157 regular-season games in Saskatchewan, earning two West Division all-star selections and winning two Grey Cups.

All these years later, the 43-year-old native of Florence, S.C. is happy Shivers liked what he saw on that fateful day in the Georgia capital.

“I guess I wowed (Shivers) a little bit. He saw that I had a little bit of potential,” Durant said. “He knew in the back of his head what he was doing (with the illegal workout), he was trying to make sure he kept it under wraps so that no one else could find out.”