'A little more motivation': Riders' Thurman and Carney looking forward to facing former team

Riders’ linebackers eager for weekend matchup WATCH: Two Riders’ linebackers are eager to take on their former team this weekend. Brit Dort has the details.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 2 of CFL action and that means Jameer Thurman and Malik Carney will get the opportunity to face off against their former team.

Both Thurman and Carney signed with the Riders in free agency and both shared the same reason for wanting to join the Green and White.

“Corey Mace, man, he was the guy,” Carney exclaimed. “I watched him a lot when he was with Toronto, when he was with Calgary, and just seeing what he can do with his d-line, how he calls defence. I wanted to be a part of that.”

“This is somewhere you want to be and this is a coach you want to play for,” Thurman echoed.

Carney spent three seasons with the Ti-Cats where he suited up for 41 games. The defensive lineman recorded 81 defensive tackles, 13 sacks, and one interception.

“A lot of emotions and stuff are being built up, a lot of intensity (this week). I really can’t say too much. I just have to let it all come out on the field and when the whistle blows, just attack the boys and take it right to them,” he said about the upcoming game against his former teammates.

It’s a different story for Thurman who spent only one season in Hamilton and was with the Calgary Stampeders for four seasons prior to that. However, he has had the opportunity to play with veteran quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell in both markets and they will take to the field for the first time against one another this Sunday.

“It’s always been jarring between us because we knew that we were on the same team so now that we are on opposite teams, there’s probably some extra competition coming into this game,” Thurman shared with a smile.

Both Carney and Thurman have something else in common with coach Mace, who also was teammates with Mitchell back in his playing days. Mace even shared that despite being a defensive guy, he caught Mitchell’s first touchdown pass of his career.

“I think it was 2014 in a short yardage play. He would’ve been nothing without me,” Mace joked. “But no, he’s a walking Hall of Famer. I think we all know that.”

“It’ll be an excellent challenge for us I think defensively from that standpoint and full time (trying to stop) a guy that’s leading their team,” Mace added.