Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
Growing up, Mason Fine was constantly told he was too small to be a quarterback.
From the time his high school coach tried to use him as a wide receiver, to being overlooked by major U.S. colleges then ignored in the NFL draft, the story was always the same.
“The scouts would come around and say, ‘You’re not going to make it to the professional level,’” Fine said in a telephone interview from Regina this week.
“It really developed a chip on my shoulder. I wanted to prove to people that I belonged.”
Fine learned a life lesson while proving all the doubters wrong.
“The height, the weight, the body stature, I can’t control that,” he said. “But here’s what I can control: my mindset, my attitude, my leadership qualities.
“I’m controlling what I can control.”
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That’s the attitude that will guide the five-foot-11, 190-pound Fine when he starts at quarterback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-2) when they face the BC Lions (4-1) Saturday night at BC Place Stadium.
Fine has stepped into the starting role after Trevor Harris suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fourth quarter of last weekend’s 33-31 loss to the Calgary Stampeders.
“My goal is to do my job, execute my reads and make whatever decision I need to make that will give our offence a chance to execute and have success,” he said.
“If you start thinking you’ve got to take over (the game), stuff like that typically doesn’t go very well. It’s a team sport. I have great teammates and all the faith in them to go out there and do their job.”
The 26-year-old native of Peggs, OK will make just his third start as a professional against a Lions’ defence that has mauled opponents all season.
BC leads the league in allowing an average of 17 points, 256 yards of total offence and just 205 passing yards a game. Defensive end Mathieu Betts is the CFL leader with nine sacks while the Lions are second overall with 21 sacks.
Fine believes the best way to beat the Lions’ defence is not to beat yourself.
“Don’t try to do too much,” he said. “Go make plays. Try not to take sacks. Don’t turn the ball over and just get first downs. Get the ball into our playmakers’ hands.
“It’s knowing when to take a shot, when to hand off or maybe when to pull it and go somewhere else with the ball.”
For Fine, it boils down to controlling what you can control. Trust what was done in practice, what was seen in the film room all week. Follow your instincts.
“To be a football player you don’t go out there and think too much or you won’t be able to play loose,” he said. “What makes a great quarterback is you try to let your subconscious take care of that. Play instinctively. Just go out there and play your game within the offence.”
Jeremy O’Day, Saskatchewan’s general manager, said the “fiery” Fine won’t be intimidated by the Lions or the noise inside BC Place.
“He’s not afraid of any situation,” O’Day told reporters in Regina earlier in the week. “The game is not too big for him. He’s as cool as a cucumber. He’s very calm and collected. He’s a very confident player.”
Fine showed his poise when stepping in for Harris last week, throwing for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
Kelly Jeffrey, the Riders’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, said Fine has a different style of play compared to Harris.
“Mason, if the first read opens, he’s going to take it right now,” said Jeffrey. “So sometimes the ball gets out a little bit quicker. Trevor will see a read and see if something downfield develops as well.”
Fine played his high school football in Locust Grove, where he set all-time Oklahoma high school records for passing yards and touchdowns. He became the first player to ever win the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year award twice.
Fine was disappointed when he didn’t receive any scholarship offers from major universities.
“My goal was to have my school paid on a college scholarship,” he said. “I watched so much football growing up on TV. I just wanted to play in those stadiums, at that level.”
Fine eventually signed with the University of North Texas in Denton. He played 48 games over four years, finishing as the school’s all-time leader with 12,237 passing yards, 93 touchdowns, 1,655 attempts and 1,039 completions.
After being overlooked in the 2020 NFL Draft, Fine had a tryout with the Chicago Bears before signing with the Riders in December 2020.
Last year Fine started the Riders’ final two games of the season. This year he earned the backup role beating out Jake Dolegala and Shea Patterson at training camp.
Fine is one-quarter Cherokee and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He understands the importance of being a role model for Indigenous youth both at home and in Saskatchewan.
“I have gone to community events and schools with heavy Indigenous populations,” he said. “I realize I am a role model, maybe someone people can look up to and appreciate. I want to make my Cherokee tribe back home proud and continue to do things the right way.”
After years of fighting to prove he belongs, Fine feels appreciated and respected in Saskatchewan.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity at Saskatchewan and in the CFL,” he said. “I love the game, I love being here. I feel like the Roughriders have really given me every opportunity to showcase my skills.
“I’ll be forever grateful no matter how it goes.”
