Saskatchewan Roughriders legend Darian Durant wants to work in pro football in a management capacity.
"I still want to, whether it's scouting or being in a front office somewhere, work my way up to GM, hopefully. One day, that's the goal," Durant told the SportsCage. "I feel like I have an eye for talent. Being around the game and knowing what's happening. Being on the personnel side is something I love to do."
Durant does not have any aspirations about coaching or becoming a head coach in the Canadian Football League.
"I wanted to be involved with football, but not so much in the coaching aspect. When you get into coaching, now you continue with the long hours and it's not a lot of security in coaching," Durant explained. "I always say this when I go to speaking engagements or things of that nature: 'You're a quarterback getting hurt away from losing your job as a coach.' I've seen that happen time and time again and I didn't want to put myself in that situation."
Meanwhile, Durant praises star Winnipeg Blue Bombers' defensive end Willie Jefferson for his work ethic and how he can constantly be effective.
"Year in and year out, even if his sack numbers are down, he still finds ways to impact the game. Whether it's knockdown passes, whether it's hurries, fumble recoveries," Durant said. "He always seems to know what's going on and has that knack for being around the football. I'm glad that I got out of the league before he really hit his prime because I didn't want to see him at that point in time."
Jefferson recorded the most sacks of his career during the 2019 season, playing 16 games for the Bombers and registering 12 QB takedowns. That year, he won the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player award and helped Winnipeg win the Grey Cup by beating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12.
He helped the Blue Bombers repeat as champions in 2021 beating the Ticats a second time 33-25. That brought his Grey Cup total to three, the first time he won was in 2015 with Edmonton. Durant's last year in the CFL was 2017 with the Montreal Alouettes.
Durant provided his list of defensive players who he had the most trouble with while he was playing.
"There are three guys from my era: John Bowman, Charleston Hughes and Odell Willis," Durant said. "All three of those guys were students of the game. When you put smart defenders, mix it with athletic ability, that's why you have three Hall of Fame guys right there."
The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select University of Colorado receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter second overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Durant was asked about choosing between his old teammates Weston Dressler and Chris Getzlaf with regard to who could transition to play defensive back.
"Getz is going to hate me for this, but there's no way I think Getz can backpedal at all. He's not coordinated enough to backpedal," Durant said. "I would have to go with Dress on that. Dress is a lot smoother, a little bit better athlete. Getz knows I love him for it. Seeing Getz backpedal is unheard of."
