A former Wolverine is proudly wearing green.
Shea Patterson, who was the University of Michigan Wolverines’ starting quarterback in 2018 and 2019, is to make his third start for the Corey Mace-coached Saskatchewan Roughriders when they face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday (7:30 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
While Patterson was at Michigan, the Head Coach was Jim Harbaugh — who became the Los Angeles Chargers’ field boss shortly after celebrating a 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship.
“I love that guy,” Patterson said. “He’s a proven winner, just like Coach Mace.”
With Patterson behind centre, Michigan posted records of 10-3 and 9-4.
“From a professional standpoint and learning a lot about the game and learning a lot about how to be a pro and your approach on a day-to-day basis, he was huge,” Patterson said of Harbaugh on Thursday.
“He had an NFL staff both years that I was there, so I got to see the ins and outs of preparation and what it takes to win.
“I don’t know necessarily if I was ready for it mentally yet at the time.”
Patterson threw for 2,600 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2018 before increasing those totals to 3,061 and 23 in his final NCAA season.
“Toward my senior year, that’s when I really started to get it what it takes to win each and every week,” he said. “That was huge going into my professional career.”
Patterson joined the Wolverines after playing at the University of Mississippi in 2016 and 2017.
“I remember going back and forth on whether or not to transfer,” he said. “I had to look at what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to have an opportunity to play for a championship.
“For (Harbaugh) to fly into Ole Miss on a jet and come and meet me at my house that I had in Mississippi, it was like, ‘Wow.’
“Growing up, Jim was like a celebrity. I almost didn’t look at him like a coach. But then you’re around him and you see him and it meant the world.
“It just took one conversation and I was sold.”
Patterson shared the details of another memorable interaction.
“On the first play of my senior year, I partially tore my oblique and I couldn’t really throw the ball the way I wanted to, so I wasn’t playing the way I wanted to,” he recalled. “I eventually got healthy around Week 5, Week 6, but you could tell that it was wearing on me mentally.
“I remember him just sitting in on one meeting in the quarterback room, with Quarterbacks Coach Ben McDaniels and all the guys. He didn’t really sit in a whole lot, but that morning he sat in.
“Right before the meeting was over and everybody left, he caught me before I went out the door and said, ‘Don’t ever forget who you are. You’re Shea Patterson.’
“I think that’s huge with anybody, with whatever they’re going through off the field. My confidence wasn’t really shaken, but for him to say that was huge, and it led to me playing my best ball the last six weeks of the season.”
Time spent in the spotlight with major college programs has prepared Patterson for immersion in the football fishbowl that is Saskatchewan.
He has become more prominent in these parts since taking over as the starter following a knee injury sustained by Trevor Harris on June 23.
Given the elevated role, one might expect Patterson to be recognized more frequently at, say, the grocery store or out in the community.
“Not yet,” he said with a chuckle during a pre-game media availability at Mosaic Stadium.
“I usually spend all my time here and then it’s back to the dorm to get some sleep.”
“WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE”
Saskatchewan enters Friday’s game with a 4-1 record. Winnipeg, which has appeared in the past four Grey Cup Games and won two of them, is an atypical 2-4.
“Records are non-existent in games like this,” Mace stated. “We understand and respect our opponent.
“We know who they are. You can say whatever you want about them, but that’s still the Winnipeg Blue Bombers coached by a really good coaching staff and led (on offence) by Zach Collaros.
“They’ve got a great defence. Biggie (linebacker Adam Bighill) is over there. (Defensive end) Willie (Jefferson) is still there.
“They’ve got a lot of core players who know what it looks like to win and they’ve been in a lot of tough games, so we respect the opponent.
“We know what they’re about to come in here with. We’ve got to match it and then some.”
Collaros, a two-time winner of the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award, has thrown only two touchdown passes — compared to six interceptions — over his five starts in 2024.
However, both TD tosses came in a 41-37 victory over the visiting Calgary Stampeders on July 12. He threw for 344 yards in last week’s thriller.
“I anticipate the four-Grey-Cups-in-a-row, MVP Zach Collaros,” Mace said. “That’s what we’re preparing for, so we’re ready for the battle.”
FLASHBACK ON SACKING ZACH
Collaros and Mace had an interaction of note on Nov. 30, 2014, during the 102nd Grey Cup game.
At the time, Collaros was quarterbacking the Hamilton Tiger-Cats against the Stampeders, for whom Mace was a starting defensive tackle.
On that memorable occasion at BC Place, Mace was able to celebrate his first Grey Cup championship — Calgary won 20-16 — and a sack of Collaros.
“I believe they gave me credit for it but, man, I don’t know,” Mace said. “It was kind of close. But, to the grave, I’ll say that was all me.
“That’s a tip of the cap to Zach. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and how he approaches the game and competes.
“The fact that we’re talking about me playing against this guy and he’s still rolling in the league and doing a great job, that’s just a credit to him.
“I’m sure that’s a game he doesn’t want to think about too much but, for me, it was a perfect way to kind of sail off from my career.”
For the sake of clarification, Mace was asked what made the sack of Collaros “kind of close,” as he phrased it.
“Someone might have touched him with a fingernail around the same time I got there,” the Roughriders’ chief strategist said. “I might have fell off a little bit.
“But they gave me credit, so I’m stealing that forever.”
