Courtesy Regina Leader Post:

Adarius Bowman’s raw potential has had mouths watering since Day 1 of Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp.

Now it’s time to add some seasoning.

The Riders plan to throw Bowman straight into the pressure cooker on Saturday when they open the CFL regular season against the visiting Edmonton Eskimos. The rookie wide receiver is slated to fill the starting role of veteran Matt Dominguez, who hasn’t been medically cleared to return after knee surgery.

“We anticipate (Bowman) is going to be able to use the natural ability he has shown us,” offered head coach Ken Miller. “He runs well, he runs routes reasonably well, he catches the ball really well and he is a smart player. We expect he’ll be very successful.”

There were similar expectations for Bowman coming out Oklahoma State, where the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. A prototype wideout with all the trimmings — size, speed and big-play ability — Bowman was hailed as a top prospect for this year’s NFL draft until a sub-par showing at the Senior Bowl, followed by a misdemeanor charge for Marijuana possession.

Spurned by the NFL, Bowman was quick to accept the Riders’ offer of a second chance, knowing it may be his last.

How does he plan to reward their faith? Simply put, by following the leaders.

“I’m kind of a pup around here,” noted the genial 22-year-old. “I’m mainly just trying to take it day by day, learn from my examples, watch the people I hang out with. That’s the good thing about these vets; they take care of us. They try to tell me, ‘You don’t need to do that, you don’t need to go out.’ They know. They’ve been through it so their advice is so much better than mine. That’s what I try to learn. I try to do a lot more listening.”

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