Mines alum follows his dream in the CFL

Last year’s Oredigger football team was led by an extremely talented group of athletes. Among these players was quarterback Isaac Harker, a transfer from Indiana State. According to Mines Athletics, Isaac was a major contributor to the prolific Orediggers offense last year that led Division II with 556.8 yards of offense per game and was also the Division II leader in passing touchdowns with 39 for the season. While the Mines season ended quickly in the postseason following a tough loss at home to CSU-Pueblo, Isaac continued his career as a quarterback by joining the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Even though Isaac is not the starter he has been getting playing time with three appearances and has completed 21 of 33 passes for 254 yards. I recently had the opportunity to ask Isaac some questions about his experience at Mines and in Saskatchewan. I would especially like to thank Isaac for taking some time out of his busy schedule to answer these questions along with Roughriders Communications Director Arielle Zerr for making this interview possible.

Why did you decide to transfer to Mines for your last year of college eligibility?

“I chose to transfer to Mines because Ryan Diedreck was the Wide Receivers coach for the football team and he was one of the graduate assistants for the football team at Indiana State University when I was playing quarterback there and we had a great relationship. He always spoke about how amazing Mines was academically and I had known about the prestige of Mines Athletics. Mines was my absolute first choice of school when I decided to transfer and I’m so happy it worked out!”

How did you join the Roughriders?

“After my Pro Day at Northern Colorado, I got a call from the General Manager of the Roughriders, Jeremy O’Day, about attending a mini-camp. After performing at the mini-camp I got offered a contract and a chance to attend training camp. After training camp, they cut the roster down to three quarterbacks and I was blessed to be one of them.”

The Roughriders have had an exceptional year, how has this season been for you?

“The season has been so much fun, we’ve been winning a lot of games which definitely makes it a good time. The team is full of so many characters and good people, a really fun team to be around. The coaching staff is so positive and amazing as well, it makes going to the facility a joy.”

What has been different about playing in the CFL compared to college?

“The CFL has a lot of different rule sets which has taken some getting used to, and the fi eld is a lot larger so that changes things, too. But, at the end of the day it’s the same game of football and you’re competing to put the ball in the end zone. Also, everyone is really talented and takes their craft really seriously.”

What is it like being a professional athlete from Mines?

“Being a pro athlete from Mines garners a lot of attention, actually. People are always very interested in learning more about Mines and the school has a great reputation everywhere that I’ve traveled so far.”

What was your favorite football moment at Mines?

“My favorite football moment at Mines…. there were so many to choose from last year. I’d say that beating our rival Mesa and winning the Nyikos Cup was one of them. Cam Mayberry and Brody Oliver breaking Mines records and D-II records while I was there was also really special to me.”

What are your future plans as a Quarterback (Stay in CFL, Tryout for NFL or XFL team)?

“My plans right now are to stay in the CFL and keep working as hard as I can to make a difference for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. I feel so blessed to be a part of this organization and they have been so good to me. You never know what the future holds but I hope to be a Roughrider for a long time.”

We wish the best of luck to Isaac as he continues his professional football career!