Saskatchewan Roughriders' defensive lineman Mike Rose's football motivation never stops as he always has something to prove.
"I have a chip on my shoulder every year, good, bad, or indifferent," Rose told the voice of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Dave Thomas. "I'm kind of like a sicko, I guess. I try to make stories in my head that nobody thinks I'm good, I'm trash, so I go out here and prove them wrong every time."
Rose's first year with the Riders will be this season after he signed with Saskatchewan during CFL free agency. He spent his first seven years in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders beginning in 2017.
"I've actually never played for a team that has not been red, white, or black," Rose recalled. "I'm enjoying it. Coming out here, playing some good ball, and playing for the best coach in the business."
Rose has a lot of respect for Riders' head coach Corey Mace. Prior to Mace's time in Saskatchewan, he was the Stampeders' defensive line coach and coached Rose from 2017 through 2021. During the 2018 season, Rose and Mace won a Grey Cup together while with Calgary.
"If you talk to the guy, you know, it's about how he talks to people and he treats you like a person," Rose explained. "He knows how to talk to every guy in a way that brings out the best in them. It's more about his ability to lead men and a lot of coaches don't have that."
Last year with the Stamps, Rose played 18 regular season games and registered 19 defensive tackles and six sacks plus he returned one interception for a touchdown.
During the third day of training camp, the Riders put on the pads.
"It's nothing new. If you can't play without pads on, you can't play with pads on," Rose detailed. "A lot of people like to say: 'Oh, pads are on.' It's not like we're tackling each other out here. At the end of the day, you're doing the same stuff."
The new CFL season starts on Thursday, June 5 and Rose knows the importance of remembering the playbook.
“I got to come out here and study the playbook, work hard and put myself in uncomfortable positions so on game day the stuff's easy”
According to Rose, there is a real sense of camaraderie among the Riders, even though he is a new guy on the team.
"These dudes are dinguses, I love them, they're great guys," Rose said. "They're working hard and that's what I come to do. I'm here to make the team like anybody else. I'm not coming in here trying to be anybody but myself."
Rose shared with Riders Nation what he brings to the table.
"I think I've been brought in here to bring patience and timing of big plays. Going out here and bringing the few young guys we might have or many with us."
