Riders’ Tevaughn Campbell has evolved into a steady pro defender

When you ask people about what they first noticed about Tevuaghn Campbell, one answer gets said more than others.

“I remember Tevaughn came in and he was young and very fast,” said Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive co-ordinator Marc Mueller, who was the quarterback for the University of Regina Rams when Campbell played there.

The same was said when he got to the pros.

“He was fast,” said Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive backs coach Josh Bell, who was a player on the Calgary Stampeders when Campbell first got to the CFL in 2015.

That was plain to see as Campbell, who also ran track at the U of R and trained with the Canadian Rugby Sevens team, still holds the record for the fastest 40-yard dash time at the CFL combine when using an electronic timer instead of a hand-time — a time of 4.36 seconds.

“A few years later people are hitting me up and saying the record is still standing and I’m like, ‘Damn, I must be good then.’ Just being out there and running back in the day with fast guys like (Brandon) Banks and having to go with them and compete against them and be step for step with them kind of showed me I am quick,” Campbell said.

Now the Canadian defensive back has been a pro in not just the CFL since 2015, but spent six years in the NFL. Down south, Campbell spent time with the New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars before signing with Riders this off-season.

“It was just good to learn from so many different guys I played with and so many Pro Bowlers or whatever it may be. I just liked to soak up all that information as best as I could,” he said. “It helped improve me drastically as a player.”

Now, as his coach, Bell has seen him evolve from just being a fast player to a dynamic one.

“I watched him learn how to play with his speed — his speed could have been a detriment at points, but he learned when to use the nitro button and when not to,” Bell said. “I saw him turn into a playmaker a little bit … His spirit is still the same, but you can see a bigger presence from him. You see a more seasoned veteran in the room.

“I think now it’s like a rose through the concrete, now we’re going to see him blossom even more.”

Campbell showed off some of those playmaking skills in the Riders’ 31-26 over the Ottawa Redblacks when he knocked away a pass intended for slotback Eugene Lewis in a late two-point conversion attempt.

“A lot of guys get in that position and they fret because it’s Geno, but T.C. was looking to get that ball and that’s his evolution,” Bell said.

But while he has already grown as a player and has been in the pros for over a decade, Campbell still believes there’s room for improvement.

“I feel refined. I feel like I’m still just learning because I can never have too much information,” Campbell said. “I feel a little bit of weight off my shoulders compared to my first year coming in and trying to learn everything on the fly. Just much more comfortable.”

The Riders take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday. Kickoff for the game is set for 5 p.m. The Green Zone pregame show begins at 3 p.m.

Bertrand-Hudon ruled out, but Ouellette, Milligan available

Some good news and bad news for the Riders on the injury front ahead of the game.

Running back AJ Ouellette and Rolan Milligan Jr. were both in concussion protocol after leaving Week 1 with head injuries. According to the Riders’ final injury report of the week, both are available for the game on Saturday.

Running back Thomas Betrand-Hudon, however, will not play after suffering a groin injury this week in practice. That does possibly open the door for the recently signed rusher Ka’Deem Carey could be put onto the active depth chart.

The Riders will release their depth chart on Friday.