ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
SCARBOROUGH – Prechae Rodriguez said that he dreamt that the day would come that he would be a part of the Toronto Argonauts. That is not a figure of speech, the veteran CFLer’s future days in Double Blue literally came to him in a dream this past off-season.
“I had a dream in the off-season that basically told me that I was going to end up being here,” he told argonauts.ca Tuesday as he and his new teammates took to the field in Scarborough as part of the club’s Level The Playing Field community initiative.
“I told my mom that I had a dream about playing for the Argonauts and it was a bit wild. I was amazed by it, and now I’m here. And it’s funny how that happened. I really think I’m destined to be here.”
Rodriguez is somewhat of a CFL journeyman, having spent time with the Montreal Alouettes, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Edmonton Eskimos and having found his most success with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
In what seems like an eternity in sports, it was only three years ago that the Auburn University standout joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and took the CFL by storm, racking up a 1000+ yard season and earning East Division Outstanding Rookie honours.
While his place with the Argos came in a dream, remaining with the squad and contributing is something that is priority number one for the 6-foot-5 target.
“It is not anything special. In Hamilton, I was given a lot of opportunities and they believed in me to be the big play receiver and the guy to get things done, and that made me believe in myself. If Toronto gives me an opportunity, then you will get the ’08 Prechae back because not a lot has changed.”
Opportunities have been somewhat few and far between for Rodriguez. When he first joined the Ticats, he instantly became a go-to pass catcher in a receiving corps that was transitioning. However, when he joined the other three teams, he entered systems at a time when the group of receivers were already in place, leaving the Tampa, Florida native as the odd man out.
Argos GM & Head Coach Jim Barker stated that it is unlikely Rodriguez will find his way into the lineup this Saturday when the Argos travel to Regina to take on the Roughriders. He also indicated that this may be a bit of a make-it-or-break-it situation for Rodriguez.
“He is a big, physical guy who was a dominant player in this league in 2008 and now he has made the tour and he is at that point where he is either going to become a player here or not. I don’t judge based on what other people say, we will watch him out here and if he develops and gets a spot than we will move forward.”
It’s tough to say where Rodriguez would fit into the Argos’ plans this early in his tenure. If he were to find his way onto the active roster later this season, no matter what capacity it is in, the 26-year-old is willing to do whatever it takes to help his new club.
“I can stretch the field, I can be a possession receiver or I can block so whatever the team wants me to do I will do.”