Oct
Rider faithful feel Dressler is a lock for rookie-of-the-year
Courtesy Regina Leader Post:
The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ offence features the rookie-of-the-year catching passes from the quarterback-of-the-week.
The Roughriders change hurlers so often that a bullpen coach should be hired. Instability behind centre has not prevented Weston Dressler from enjoying an exceptional debut season in the Canadian Football League.
With one regular-season game remaining, the 23-year-old University of North Dakota product has 51 receptions for 1,033 yards — an average of 20.1 yards per catch — and six touchdowns.
The totals would be even more impressive had he not been forced to miss three games with a hamstring injury.
In that respect, Dressler is part of a not-so-exclusive fraternity. The Roughriders’ receiving corps has been ravaged by injuries, with Matt Dominguez, D.J. Flick, Andy Fantuz and Adarius Bowman missing significant time.
Not so long ago, all four of those players were out of the lineup, making it ridiculously easy for opposing secondaries to isolate on Dressler. Even so, he kept producing, registering five 100-yard outings within a span of six games.
On the surface, Dressler is hardly an inviting target. At 5-foot-7 and 179 pounds, he looks more like a jockey than a pro football player. On the field, however, he looks like a thoroughbred.
That explains why Dressler was named the Roughriders’ rookie-of-the-year on Tuesday. Most of the votes were cast by reporters who cover the team on a regular basis. And, honestly, we face tougher decisions when trying to choose which flavour of pizza to ingest during the Roughriders’ pre-game spread.
(Here is a vote for all-Dresslered.)
The decisions should be just as automatic as Dressler proceeds toward the podium. He is incontestably the best choice for West Division and CFL rookie-of-the-year laurels.
In the West, Dressler is up against Tristan Jackson (Edmonton Eskimos), Stefan Logan (B.C. Lions) and Dimitri Tsoumpas (Calgary Stampeders).
Jackson has enjoyed a fine year, returning two punts, one kickoff and one interception for a touchdown. Logan has been a dervish as a tailback and a returner. Tsoumpas has helped to stabilize a once-porous Calgary offensive line.
