From the land of Friday Night Lights, to one with Friday Night Football

Once again, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have stolen the week's thunder, this time with a surprise signing of potentially one of the names to watch in Canadian Football.

The Riders announced the signging of Graham Harrell this week, introducing him to his new team mates and the curious onlookers of a Riders practice on Tuesday.

Harrell, is a highly regarded quarterback out of Texas Tech, the first quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards in consecutive seasons and one of the top five finalists for the Heisman trophy.

In short, he's a guy with a lot of talent it would seem and considering his passing stats, someone who just may be suited to the pass happy CFL.

His road to Regina came as a byway of the NFL draft, where scouts suggested that his passing numbers were more a result of the type of offence that Texas Tech put in place, whispering concerns over his arm strength, apparently loud enough to move him off the depth charts of much of the NFL.

While there was a slight bit of interest in the newly formed UFL, Harrell instead has decided that for now, the best place for him to play professional football will be above the 49th parallel, far from the football factories of Texas, but not to far from that passion for the game.

One of his first observations of his early days in Regina has been that total involvement that football and the community have in Saskatchewan. One where a little bit of success could go a long way in building up a core of supporters.

The Riders have no plans to rush Harrell into their system, in fact his first official function it seems was to sign on to the Injured List, though many suspect it was a method the Riders have used in order to work around their cap problems with the new hire.

His placement on that list, will allow him nine weeks to learn the system and now ease into the CFL and learn the differences between the styles of football. It may not be what the list was designed for, but he more than likely is not the first person in the CFL to come down with such maladies as Turf toe, throwers elbow or any other creative injury to while away the hours.

You can't help but notice their glee in luring such a high profile candidate into their organization. A move that has attracted attention on both sides of the border.

Harrell no doubt will be anxious to prove those NFL scouts and doubters wrong and if all goes according to plan, the Riders will be more than happy to provide that platform for him.

From the accounts of his time in Texas, he sounds like someone that is perfectly suited to the more wide open Canadian game, once he's comfortable we're sure we'll see him in play, perhaps not in the starting role that he may have become accustomed to, but as another part of what continues to be a well run machine out of Saskatchewan, one that frequently finds the players required to keep the Riders part of the hunt for the Grey Cup.

Regina Leader Post-- CFL offers new Roughriders quarterback Graham Harrell opportunity
Vancouver Sun-- Riders land Texas gunslinging QB

CBC -- Roughriders sign U.S. college star Harrell

Dallas Morning News-- Harrell heading to Saskatchewan, CFL

The Daily Toreador-- Harrell will play in Canadian Football League