Special teams is a specialty for Aaron Patrick.

“It’s something I’ve grown to love more and more,” the 28-year-old Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end said.

“It’s one of the three phases of the football game. Football is made up of offence, defence and special teams, and whenever you can find some type of niche to put your stamp or put your name on the game in that phase, then I think that’s what you should do.”

Patrick did precisely that while establishing his name in the NFL game over 17 regular-season contests with the Denver Broncos (2021-22). He was also an outside linebacker with Denver.

Before joining the Broncos, he was with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020 and 2021.

“Early in my football career, I learned the different ways to get yourself on the football field,” said Patrick, who was born in Dayton, Ohio and played college football at Eastern Kentucky.

“I realized that I could put a type of personal stamp on the game (on special teams) that I don’t think anybody else could. That has kind of travelled with me wherever I’ve gone.

“When I went to the Jaguars and when I went to the Broncos, it was the same thing. Coming here, I was able to find places within our scheme where I was able to do some of the same things that have been part of my career for however many years.”

The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder’s versatility has been on display in Saskatchewan, where he has moved to the defensive line while maintaining his trademark level of excellence on special teams.

“He can set the tone of the game pretty quickly on the opening kickoff,” Head Coach Corey Mace said. “(Special Teams Co-ordinator) Kent Maugeri calls him a Junkyard Dog. He’s one of those.

“He loves running down there and he loves contact and he’s making plays — and he’s playing defence, too.

“He’s a heck of a player. We knew what to expect when we got him and he has been that.”

It is a good thing that Patrick relishes contact, because there is plenty of that when he is on the field. He is routinely double-teamed.

“Listen, I’ve seen quadruple-teams out there,” he said with a smile. “I take it as a sign of respect.

“Our coach does such a good job of putting a good group together. If they do want to double-team me or triple-team me or whatever, awesome. We got a team full of guys who can go make a play.

“If you’ve just wasted multiple blockers on me, then you just let three other people who are really great players come down there and do the same thing, so it works in our favour.”

What, one wonders, is it like to be quadruple-teamed?

“It happens so fast,” the amiable Patrick replied. “You’ll be running sometimes and you’ll see a guy come over. Then, all of a sudden, you’ll see three or four people. I’m thinking, ‘There’s no way! If three or four of you are on me, somebody has to be open!’

“Like I said, it’s respect. It’s just one of those things where, ‘This is what they’re going to do? Great. This is how we’re going to combat it.’ We just figure out what we’ve got to do. No matter what they do, there’s always something we should be doing on our end to play our best brand of football.”

The formula is a success. The Roughriders sport a CFL-best 12-5 record entering Saturday’s regular-season finale against the B.C. Lions (5 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).

Saskatchewan has already clinched first place in the overall standings and secured home-field advantage for the Western Final (Nov. 8, 5:30 p.m.).

“I couldn’t ask for a better situation for us to be in as far as the environment,” Patrick said. “I love the Roughriders. I love the group of guys we’ve got around here. We all mesh. The position group that I’m in is a very interesting group. Those are some of my brothers.

“Every single week, I’ve heard about a new rule. They’re like, ‘In this league, they can also do this …’ I’m like, ‘Huh?! When did that happen?’ It has been a learning experience, but I’m a sponge. I like to absorb. I like to learn new things and use those things moving forward.”

Patrick’s total of seven special teams tackles in 15 games does not come close to conveying his impact.

“Aaron Patrick, I think, is one of the top special teams players in our league,” Maugeri said during a recent interview on CKRM’s SportsCage.

“He may not make the tackle a lot of times, but he makes the play, if that makes any sense. He is a problem out there. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s fast. He’s physical and violent. He plays the right way.

“He has been an absolute pleasure to coach this year and I’m really thrilled with the success that he’s had.”