McKenzie becoming a mentor

The Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back turned 30 on March 17, making him the oldest starter on the CFL team's defence. If Saskatchewan's offence starts a game with five receivers - and keeps 32-yearold fullback Neal Hughes on the sideline - McKenzie is the oldest starter on the entire team.

"I never thought the day would come," McKenzie, who's in his fourth season with the Roughriders, said Tuesday at Mosaic Stadium. "It's all smiles over here. I love it-

"I need to set an example for the younger guys. I need to do it on the field, off the field, in words or by showing them. I like the role."

In terms of years of service in the Roughriders secondary, fifth-year safety James Patrick has McKenzie beat, but McKenzie has assumed more of a vocal leadership role.

As a result, he's following the lead of former Roughriders DBs like Eddie Davis and Lance Frazier, tutoring younger players like halfback Eddie Russ, in his second season with Saskatchewan but his first as a full-time starter, and cornerbacks Woodny Turenne and Terrell Maze, each of whom has one game of experience with Saskatchewan.

"Some of the guys look at me in that way (as the wily veteran)," McKenzie said. "It's not hard to step in and tell the younger guys, 'Hey, look, this is the right way to do it.' '

In reality, McKenzie used to be one of those guys.

When he joined the Roughriders in 2009 after stints with the NFL's Houston Texans and AFL's Arizona Rattlers, he needed (and got) tips from his veteran teammates to understand the way of the CFL world.

McKenzie started for the first time late in 2009 when Frazier missed a game with the flu. Frazier returned the following week, but McKenzie replaced Davis at the other halfback spot after Davis underwent knee surgery.

Following Davis's retirement that off-season, McKenzie took over as the starter in 2010 - and he has flourished.

"I feel like I've gotten better each year," the 5-foot-9, 190-pound product of New York City said. "I'm more experienced now.

"(Because of that) you know what's coming and what teams like to do. You're more in touch with what's going on."

Roughriders defensive coordinator Richie Hall said McKenzie is playing more aggressively and physically than he did in his first two seasons in Saskatchewan. Hall was the Edmonton Eskimos' head coach at the time, but he has seen McKenzie progress since Hall's return to the Roughriders in 2011.

"(McKenzie's using) a different technique, but regardless of what technique you use, the bottom line is, 'Do you play with confidence or don't you play with confidence?' He's playing with confidence," Hall said. "When you do, you get results because you make plays and you're not worried about other things.

"About the middle of last year, he started playing very well for us. He had some picks. This year, he has been around the ball and doing those little things that maybe a lot of people might not notice. But as coaches, we notice and we see his improvement as a player."

McKenzie credits three former defensive backs - Hall, Roughriders DBs coach Barron Miles and Saskatchewan head coach Corey Chamblin - with helping his development and his burgeoning confidence level. He's hoping to build on a 2011 season in which he had 53 tackles, seven knockdowns and two interceptions.

"As far as last year goes, I was growing to that," McKenzie said. "It comes with time.

"Working with (Miles), you can't not be confident. If you don't have confidence, he's going to turn you." McKenzie has remained self-assured despite getting a stiff test every week.

In a slotback-driven league, McKenzie this season has covered Andy Fantuz and Bakari Grant of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats one week and Fred Stamps and Adarius Bowman of the Eskimos the next. On Saturday, McKenzie gets to face Geroy Simon and Arland Bruce when the B.C. Lions invade Mosaic Stadium.

"No matter who I get - it could be somebody you've never heard of - I'm going to practise and prepare the same way every game," said McKenzie, who helped hold Stamps to two catches for 20 yards in Sunday's 17-1 victory over the Eskimos.

"It doesn't matter who's in front of me or who I've got to (defend). You've been around the league. You know who teams' go-to guys are. I don't even look at it like that. I just do my technique and let the chips fall where they fall."