Riders want to send old Mosaic Stadium off right

Most of the players on the 2016 Roughriders have only called Mosaic Stadium home for one year, but that doesn’t mean they don’t treasure it.

They want to send Mosaic Stadium off right.

“This is very important to this city, a very important thing to the fans around here in Saskatchewan, so we want to make sure we give them a great show on the outing of this stadium,” linebacker Otha Foster said Friday.

His first memory of Mosaic Stadium came pre-season two years ago. He remembers it briefly because he was sick, but he “actually had a pretty good game” anyway.

His strongest memory from that year, however, was the last regular season game.

“It was freezing. It was a night game for one. It was snowing and windy and the game really didn’t mean anything as far as the standings in the playoffs. It was the coldest game I ever played, ever,” he said.

Offensive lineman Jerrial King didn’t remember the weather, but he remembers being in awe.

“As opponent, my first reaction was ‘oh man I would love to play in front of a crowd like this,’” he said, but he hadn’t seen anything until he saw it from the side of the green and white.

“It was crazy. I was coming back off of injury and everything and my mind was just everywhere,” King said. “(The fans cheering) was just that fuel, you know, when we’re down or when it’s too cold or whatever it is and you look out there and the fans are sticking in it with you.”

Foster shared a similar sentiment, remembering when he first walked into an empty Mosaic Stadium after training camp this year. He said it didn’t feel quite right when it was empty, but then it came alive on game day.

“My first game running out the tunnel, running out here was amazing now, it was so loud. I was happy to have those fans on my side.”

Of course, all of that is known to Darian Durant, who has been a big part of what Mosaic Stadium became for Roughrider fans over the last 10 years.

He’s admitted he won’t miss the space so much, but the atmosphere it created was next to none.

“No doubt about it, the building wouldn’t be anything without the people,” he said. “The fans that drive from afar to support this team, no matter the climate, that scream their lungs to support us. They’re the ones that make this place special; they’re the ones that make it tough for other teams to come out here to play.”

With a sellout crowd in attendance on Saturday, expect it to be extra tough for B.C. just one more time.