A pair of west central communities were treated to a “big” surprise this past weekend. 

Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive lineman Dan Clark and his larger than life personality took the stage in both Macklin and Plenty at the towns recent respective fundraising events. The Friday event in Macklin was actually put on directly by the local football association and also featured comedian Kelly Taylor, while the special guests in Plenty on Saturday were two other Saskatchewan celebrities in former Roughriders Glen Suitor (also in Macklin) and Bob Poley, with proceeds from that event going towards the Stranrear Elks Club.

Thanks to our connection with his Roughriders teammate Logan Ferland, we got into contact with Clark to ask him about his role in the weekend’s events where he stepped up as emcee; and also asked him about another special stop he made at the North West Central School in Plenty.

“I did a little bullying presentation Friday afternoon in Plenty,” explained Clark, who was well received by the kids as mentioned above.

With his latest CFL training camp only about a month away, Clark was happy to get out and enjoy himself before the grind really begins.

“Friday and Saturday I just enjoyed my evening telling stories about football, joking with the other guys at the dinner. Got to sit back and enjoy the comedian on Friday night, and then of course Glen Suitor tried to steal the show with his comedy routine too,” laughed the fan-favourite Clark, “It’s definitely nice to get back out in the province and be able to speak with people.”

Clark knows how people may view him and his teammates when on the field, but he also knows how refreshing it is for people to understand that he is just another normal Saskatchewan guy. Volunteering and being a presence across the province is one of Clark’s favourite parts of wearing green and white.

“I worked with the Red Cross for eight years, and probably put on about ten to twenty thousand kilometres a year driving all over the province. I’ve been to Uranium City, and everywhere in between Regina and Saskatoon. I love what I do, and I love speaking with kids, and then you throw in the functions that you get to spend an evening in small town Saskatchewan? That’s something that every player should get to experience in my opinion.”

Perhaps Clark gained some new fans over the weekend in the west central region, but as for the in-office standings here at West Central Online, he still remains behind our favourite in #63.

One-on-One With Saskatchewan Roughriders Logan Ferland

Clark, Ferland, and the rest of their Roughriders teammates will report to training camp in Saskatoon the second week of May.