Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Brett Smith ready to prove himself

Quarterback Brett Smith knows he's got a lot of work to do.

On Sunday, the Saskatchewan Roughriders released Tino Sunseri, opening up the third-string quarterback position.

Smith said he's not letting this opportunity go to waste.

"It's not over yet," he said. "I still have another week, so I just want to utilize the time I have here, and make the roster. I really want to make the roster. I really want to be here."

Sunseri was one of 11 cuts the Riders announced this weekend. He was let go after the Riders' pre-season loss against the Eskimos.

Head Coach Corey Chamblin said he's happy with his current roster, and felt that it gave him the opportunity to introduce some new blood.
 
"We knew we were solid with one and two, and it was, let's give the young guy a chance to learn," he said. "It's kind of hard to learn with four quarterbacks in camp."

While Sunseri struggled during this weekend's game against Edmonton, Chamblin said he was taking a longer view with his performance.

"We've seen Tino last year, he had opportunities last year, so that was the thing," he said. "So, I think when you look at it, he was going on into his third year, versus a guy in his first year. So, we just had to look at all those things, and that was how it panned out."

Veteran quarterback Darian Durant said he's excited to have Smith take the position.

"He said, 'Man, give me some advice before I go out.'" Durant said. "I said, 'you know what, young buck? Just go out and make plays. That's exactly how you can open up a coach's eyes. Just make plays.' And he did a great job of that."

Smith said he doesn't want to let his team down.

"These guys and these coaches, I couldn't ask for anything more."