Running backs in Calgary Stampeders camp: Dedrick Mills eyes 1,000 yards
Dedrick Mills has improved his rush numbers year after year with the Calgary Stampeders.
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It was 459 yards in his rookie year with the Canadian Football League club.
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Then came 802 in 2023.
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And last year, with the starting gig pretty much to himself, the rumbling running back rolled up an impressive 923 for the Stampeders.
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So you know what he's thinking for 2025.
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'That 1,000 goal is most definitely in my head,' admitted Mills to reporters, during Week 1 of Stamps training camp at McMahon Stadium. 'I mean … I ain't gonna set too many high goals, but I'm just taking one game at a time and just go out and play the game that I know how to play and just be the guy for my team.'
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Heading into camp, Mills was definitely the guy for this team at running back.
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In the last two off-seasons, he's seen backfield mates Ka'Deem Carey — a long-time starter with the Stamps — and Peyton Logan respectively move on to the Toronto Argonauts and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, leaving Mills as the undisputed incumbent for the Calgary crew.
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But there is new competition in camp with free-agent Americans, a talented local and a draftee now in the mix in the Red and White running game.
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And that mix will be explored more during Monday's first pre-season game against the host BC Lions in Langford, B.C. (2 p.m., CHQR 107.3 FM/770 AM).
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'Running backs is the hardest one to really evaluate in camp when it's not a game situation, because we really don't want to bring them to the ground,' said Stamps GM/head coach Dave Dickenson, of practising without tackling in training camp.
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'I think we've got a good group, though — they're doing a good job in their protection schemes,' added Dickenson. 'We have six guys — probably that's too many — so we'll certainly have to take a look at that.'
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THE PLAYERS
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13 Ludovick Choquette 5'9, 206 lb. 23 Long Island
20 Jeshrun Antwi 5'11, 207 lb. 27 Calgary
23 William Langlais 6'3, 226 lb. 35 Sherbrooke
26 Dedrick Mills * 5'9, 217 lb. 28 Nebraska
28 Tiyon Evans * 5'11, 210 lb. 23 Louisville
33 Eno Benjamin * 5'9, 207 lb. 26 Arizona State
49 Ryan Jones * 6'2, 235 lb. 25 East Carolina
* — denotes American*
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It seems Mills, 28, should be a lock to be the starting guy.
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His year-over-year improvement lends to that, of course.
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And the Georgia native's not shying away from the competition in camp.
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'I mean … it helps me a lot, man,' said Mills, with a big grin. 'It helps me to come out here every day and prepare myself just for the game. I mean … just seeing other guys step up and do the right things and just everybody on top of their game right now is just making it hard for everybody.
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