Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris continues to knock down career milestones in his 14th Canadian Football League (CFL) season; the latest – passing Canadian Football Hall of Famer (CFHOF) Doug Flutie for 10th all-time on the career passing leaders list. “It’s honestly poetic,” Harris told reporters after the Riders’ 32-26 win over Winnipeg Sunday. “Turtle on a fence post; if you see a turtle on a fence post, he didn’t get there on his own – somebody placed him there. That’s exactly what it’s like for me.” Going into Sunday’s Labour Day Classic against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Harris had 41,228 career passing yards – needing just 127 to pass Flutie’s 41,355. Harris passing the all-time great with a 72-yard catch and run to Saskatchewan product Daniel Wiebe getting the Riders into the redzone for the first time Sunday night. The Riders scored two plays later on Harris’ first TD pass of the night to Quali Conley. “I’m super happy for him,” Wiebe, a former Saskatchewan Huskie, said following the game. “He’s an absolutely great guy and a great leader, an outstanding leader. He’s always there for everyone in this locker room.” “Kudos to him, he’s absolutely been balling out, so it’s good to see,” Wiebe added. Harris continued to praise his teammates. “I was just hoping he’d score,” Harris joked about the play. “But it’s pretty awesome stuff. Really, really happy for Wiebe to make a huge play like that. And pretty cool, poetic, that he was able to do that when we went in 10th all time.” The 40-year old quarterback finished the game with 362 yards in Sunday’s Labour Day game – his eighth 300-plus yard passing performance this season. “I’ve had teammates who have done nothing but support me and love me; coaches that have done nothing but teach me the game - Scott Milanovic to Jason Moss to Marcus Brady,” said Harris. “Through the years I’ve been back with Moss, [Anthony] Calvillo, Khari Jones and then here with [Marc] Mueller; I’ve had some awesome coaches that have kind of, really taught me the game.” The all-time top-10 list includes Hall of Famers Anthony Calvillo, Damon Allen, Henry Burris and others. Harris is second in career passing yards among active quarterbacks, behind only Bo Levi Mitchell (45,426) who is eighth on that list. Over his 14-year career, Harris has played with the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa RedBlacks, Edmonton Elks, Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan. Sunday’s game was his 209th career game played – completing 3,392 passes (68.1 per cent completion) and 228 touchdowns. “It’s quite a blessing to be here with a guy like Trevor and for a guy who’s done [it] as long as he’s done it,” said fellow quarterback Tommy Stevens. “Trevor was the first person that truly taught me how to play quarterback at a professional level. “Just being able to have that relationship with a guy like him who has done it all in this league and him going into the top-10 all-time is special.” Wiebe, a rookie, says he too admires the qualities Harris brings. “He’s always just in the game and very calm,” he added. “And it really spreads to the whole team. To be able to embody that little bit, even if it’s just a fraction of what he has, means a lot.” Receiver Dhel Duncan-Busby also extoled the veteran signal-caller. “This man is 40 and still slinging the rock like that,” said Duncan-Busby, who had a career-high 148 receiving yards Sunday. “And shout out to Trevor for trusting me, too.” Flutie entered the CFHOF in 2008. He played eight seasons in the CFL with B.C., Calgary and Toronto between 1990 and 1997 before heading to the NFL for 12 years. In 1991, threw for a record 6,619 yards on 499 completions. In 1992 he signed with the Calgary Stampeders, who he led to victory in the 1992 Grey Cup. Flutie’s 48 touchdown passes in 1994 remains a CFL record. Of the nine other quarterbacks on the CFL’s all-time passing leaders list, seven of them are in the CFHOF. Next on the list for Harris to catch is Matt Dunigan for ninth all-time. When Dunigan retired in 1996 after 13 CFL seasons, he was second in all-time passing statistics: 3,057 completions in 5,476 attempts for 43,857 yards and 306 touchdown passes. He also holds the record for most passing yards in a game 713 yards. Following Sunday’s performance, Harris needs 2,267 passing yards to continue climbing the list.
