Underdog mentality a driver for Riders’ Sankey

Darnell Sankey says he lives his life by a motto: Delays are not denials.

“You start off as a zero-star (recruit), really overlooked. No one really noticed me until Sacramento State came and picked me up and I played as a true freshman, and then became a first-team all-American,” Sankey said.

“It’s a blessing. There are really no other words to describe it. I’m very fortunate.”

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ linebacker knows about struggling off the field as well, tweeting that there was a point in his life where he didn’t know where his next hot meal was coming from.

“Trying to figure out where I was going to stay, showering in the gym, just doing what you’ve got to do,” Sankey said.

“That’s something you’ve got to do as a man — you’ve got to figure things out. That is an area and point in my life that was very hard and difficult, but I got through it by the grace of God and I’m here now … When I see other people who are a little down on their luck, I want to lend a helping hand.”

That experience was the inspiration for an event he held in September that gave more than 900 people a hot meal and handed out more than 270 bags with groceries and other essential items.

“That is something I always tried to pursue — helping the community and help people get better,” Sankey said. “I’m not just an athlete. We’re not just here to play football, but we want to impact the community and lives and just do good. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to be a good person.”

The 28-year-old has turned into a tackling machine since coming to the CFL. He led the league with 97 tackles in a shortened 2021 campaign with the Calgary Stampeders.

With one week left in 2022, Sankey has 115 tackles, once again leading the league, and he’s three tackles away from breaking the Riders’ franchise tackles record of 118 set by David Albright in 1987.

“I expect to make every play, to be honest. I want to make every single play. There’s no other way to put it. I want to make every play possible that I can make and I want to win,” Sankey said.

“I also missed a lot of tackles, and I feel I could have had some more picks and forced fumbles and everything else. Tackles are great, but you need more than just tackles.”

Sankey’s chance to break that record comes against the Stamps on Saturday in Saskatchewan’s final game of 2022. Kickoff for the game is set for 6 p.m. The Green Zone pre-game show begins at 4 p.m.

While he has become one of the top linebackers in the CFL, Sankey said basketball was his first passion.

“I grew up in a basketball household. My older brother played. My dad played. My sister played. I was the only football player,” Sankey said.

His old high school linebacker coach, former NFL linebacker Marcus Reese, had been trying to recruit him to take up the sport while he was in school.

“He had came to me in my sophomore year and I told him, ‘No, I’m a basketball player,’ so he was like ‘OK.’ He came to me my junior year and asked me again and I was just like, ‘I guess I’ll come out,’ ” Sankey said. “First year, I was an all-star and all-conference, and the rest is history.”

He fell in love with the linebacker position right away.

“Linebacker is my passion, but I can play any position on the field. I am confident in that,” Sankey said.

That eventually led to Sankey becoming a starter at Sacramento State with the Hornets.

He was passed over in the 2016 NFL draft, which led to him playing for a multitude of teams over the next few seasons. He had stints with the Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts (twice), Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints.

It was that journey that helped him instill a mindset that he still has to this day.

“I feel like it’s that underdog mentality. I’ve always felt like I was overlooked, especially when you’re an undrafted player in the NFL. You’re always climbing the ladder,” Sankey said.

“Some guys, I believe, start up top and need to be knocked off. Guys like me and other guys who were undrafted and brought in as a camp body, we have to always work up.”

He signed with the Stampeders in 2020, but opted out of the contract due to the cancelled season. He opted back into the contract for the 2021 season.

After leading the league in tackles in 2021 with Calgary, Sankey elected to sign with Saskatchewan as a free agent due to the atmosphere he saw whenever he was a visiting player.

“I remember the crowd and the vibe and atmosphere. I loved it,” Sankey said.

But despite Sankey’s individual success — being named the team’s nominee for most outstanding defensive player and most outstanding player — the team has struggled to find wins.

After a 4-1 start, the Riders’ record now stands at 6-11 after going on a slide where they only won two of 12 games and went on a six-game losing streak at home.

So while Sankey’s journey for a Grey Cup has hit a delay, he said he doesn’t look back at signing with the Riders as a disappointment.

“I could sit here and look back and say, ‘Oh yeah, I wanted to be on a playoff team,’ but that’s what anyone would sign up for. You want to make the playoffs, you want to win, you want to go undefeated. The fact that didn’t happen doesn’t make me look back and be like, ‘Oh, I wish I would have,’ ” Sankey said.

“I’m in a great position right now, and I’m elected for two prestigious awards and this is where God put me.”

But what does the future hold for the linebacker, who is a free agent again this off-season?

“I don’t know,” he said. “I guess we will have to see.”