Saskatchewan Roughriders: Isaac Harker is a student of the game | Globalnews.ca

While Cody Fajardo has all but nailed down the starting quarterback position for the Riders, there is still some question as to who will win the backup gig.

Second-year quarterback Isaac Harker is doing his best to solidify himself as the number two signal caller.

Harker was studying up on the playbook during the COVID-19 induced hiatus in 2020, with the help of a family member.

“I was watching film five days a week and having my sister call out some of the plays so I could work on some of the footwork, the biggest thing was visualization,” Harker said.

Harker loves the intricacies and finer details of football.

“It’s such a beautiful game, the way that chess pieces move and you can have an offensive and defensive coordinator battling and at the same time, your players can make other moves,” he said.

Harker’s coaches, including head coach Craig Dickenson, laud his high level of intellect.

This includes an impressive score in the mid-40’s on the Wonderlic test, which measures cognitive ability and problem solving within a short time span.

“He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve been around, very intelligent and very thoughtful in how he thinks about things. He’s got wisdom to him that is a little beyond his years,” Dickenson said.

Harker has no shortage of confidence in his own abilities to lead the team.

“I’m not afraid of anybody when it comes to quarterback play or mastery of the offense or leadership. I feel like I can hang with anybody and I’ve put in the work to be confident in that regard,” he said.

1:40Saskatchewan Roughriders prepare for training camp