Family is at the “4” for Darian Durant.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ legendary No. 4 feels blessed to share a household with four females — his wife (Sigalit) and three daughters (Amayah, 8, Talyah, 6, and Zoey, 4).

“Zoey has just started gymnastics,” Doubles said from Boca Raton, Fla. “She’s the most athletic of them all. She’s going to be something special.”

Like father, like daughter.

The Durants’ first child was born in January of 2018. Her full name: Amayah Taylor.

And, yes, the “Taylor” is a tribute to dear old Taylor Field.

“My daughters are starting to ask a lot of questions,” Durant noted. “They’ll type my name into YouTube. All these videos will come up and they’ll sit there and watch some of my highlights. There’s Jersey Day at school, so they’ll get to go to school in my jersey.

“Amayah, especially, understands that Daddy was able to achieve something at a high level. She’s also into gymnastics. She’s a big Simone Biles fan. She sees how many people are in the arena when Simone Biles is doing her gymnastics routines. Then she watches our (Riders) games and sees how the fans are everywhere and sees our crowds.

“She’ll say, ‘Wow, Daddy. I can’t believe that you played in front of so many people. I can’t wait to do that one day. I want to be just like you.’ She understands now, right? It’s great having these conversations with her.

“Now I can influence or motivate her little bit and say, ‘OK, Amayah, if you want to perform on the biggest stage or if you want to be in front of a huge crowd, these are the steps you have to take when you’re this young so you can reach that goal.’ ”

YouTube was in its infancy when Durant joined the Roughriders in a franchise-altering trade on April 12, 2006. In one deal, Saskatchewan acquired two future Grey Cup-winning quarterbacks.

Kerry Joseph, who wore No. 4 for the Green and White in 2006 and 2007, capped the latter season by quarterbacking Saskatchewan to a 23-19 championship-game victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Three days earlier, he had been named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.

After Joseph was shockingly traded to the Toronto Argonauts on March 5, 2008, Durant requested and received what would become his trademark number. He previously wore No. 14.

Durant led the Roughriders to Grey Cup berths in 2009, 2010 and 2013. He was at his absolute finest in the 2013 post-season, which culminated in a home-field Grey Cup win.

Reflecting on his time in Saskatchewan, it is hard to believe nearly 10 years have elapsed since he last suited up for the Green and White.

That was back on Oct. 29, 2016, for the final CFL game at historic Mosaic Stadium.

(Oct. 29, 2016 was also the 62nd birthday of legendary Roughriders receiver Joey Walters. Walters and Durant’s father, Israel, were basketball teammates in the early 1960s at Wilson High School in Florence, S.C. Small world!)

Durant again mentioned his daughters when asked to reflect on his time in Saskatchewan.

“I can honestly say it’s the biggest blessing of my life, besides my children,” he said.

“I was very fortunate, being able to be in Saskatchewan and start my career under the guidance of Kerry Joseph, (quarterback) Marcus Crandell and (offensive co-ordinator) Tommy Condell — guys who are such knowledgeable people.

“Then, going through my career, there were the ups and downs of not starting, getting hurt, losing Grey Cups, becoming a man, growing up, dealing with criticism … everything. You name it. It all molded me into a Grey Cup champion.

“If I hadn’t gone through all those things, then I don’t know if I would be mentally strong enough to even handle the pressure of Saskatchewan.

“There’s also the fans. Being in that place — such a small little dot on the map in Canada — I was able to influence people’s lives. I was able to be part of people’s last wishes before they passed away.

“There’s just so much it has done for me. It has made me into such a thankful, experienced, grateful person. Going to Saskatchewan really changed my life.”

CONVERSATION WITH MY DOG

I always knew Candy was a growler of rare intelligence, to accompany her undeniable charm, but I still underestimated her.

Consider her mastery of NHL trivia!

Me: “Who is the Buffalo Sabres’ head coach?”

Candy: “Ruff!”

On that career-threatening note, here is a list of the best Roughriders player(s) to hail from each 2026 Stanley Cup playoff city:

Anaheim: This is a tie between Morris Bledsoe and Carl Bradford. Bledsoe, a quarterback, joined the Roughriders on a 21-day trial in October 1983. He attended training camp the following spring. Bradford, a linebacker, was on the practice roster in July of 2018.

Boston: Beantown-born offensive lineman Roger Ellis played in three regular-season games with the 1964 Roughriders.

Buffalo: Roughriders Vice-President of Football Operations and General Manager Jeremy O’Day, who grew up in Lockport, N.Y., was born in Buffalo. A perennial All-Star centre, he played for the Roughriders from 1999 to 2010. (Also notable from Buffalo: Naaman Roosevelt.)

Dallas: Thirty-five Roughriders roster players or hopefuls were born in the Big D. Let’s go with Curtis Mayfield, who scored a team-high 12 touchdowns (nine on receptions and three on punt returns) in 1999 — O’Day’s first year with the Roughriders. Fast fact: O’Day and Mayfield scored a second-quarter TD in the same game! Mayfield returned a punt for a 47-yard major on Nov. 5, 1999 against the host B.C. Lions. Five minutes later, O’Day (who lined up as an eligible receiver) was wide-open in the end zone when he hauled in a seven-yard TD pass from Steve Sarkisian. (Sarkisian and receiver Rick Eber, a member of the 1973 team, are the best Roughriders players to emanate from Torrance, Calif.)

Denver: Another tie. A Denverite has yet to make the Roughriders’ active roster. The two candidates: Al Humphrey (linebacker, training camp 1975) and Ryan Clement (quarterback, practice roster, August 1999).

Edmonton: Hall of Fame receiver Ray Elgaard was born in Edmonton. He grew up in Vancouver, mind you, but we’re using birthplaces as a gauge.

Las Vegas: Elgaard, who now resides in Las Vegas, was a teammate of defensive back Charles Anthony in 1992 and 1993. Anthony had eight interceptions, including five in 1993, over those two seasons.

Los Angeles: Among the 53 candidates, offensive tackle Clyde Brock (a Roughrider from 1964 to 1975) is the sole Hall of Famer.

Montreal: Three members of the Roughriders’ Plaza of Honour — Reg Whitehouse (1992), Johnny Bell (1998) and Jeff Fairholm (2005) — were born in Montreal. Samuel, the Most Valuable Canadian in the 2025 Grey Cup, Emilus is a sure bet to make it four.

Ottawa: Jim McFaul was a starting tackle with the Roughriders from 1949 to 1952. He played in the 1951 Grey Cup versus … Ottawa!

Philadelphia: Tim Edwards, who played in 26 games over the 1995 and 1996 seasons, is the lone Philadelphia-born active-roster player in Roughriders history. Edwards registered three sacks on Sept. 3, 1995 to help Saskatchewan defeat Winnipeg (wait for it) 56-4. Elgaard caught two TD passes in the rout.

Pittsburgh: Ron Lancaster grew up in Clairton, Pa., which is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Next!

Raleigh: Running back Bobby Thompson (Plaza of Honour, 2007) was one of Lancaster’s favourite targets out of the backfield. Thompson holds the Roughriders’ record for the longest kickoff return (115 yards versus the B.C. Lions on Aug. 24, 1971).

St. Paul: Jeff Bentrim, a Roughriders quarterback from 1987 to 1990, grew up in the St. Paul portion of the Twin Cities. He was a member of the 1989 Grey Cup championship team. Due to injuries, the ultra-athletic Bentrim was used as a slotback and kickoff returner late in the 1989 campaign.

Salt Lake City: Middle linebacker Jake Dougthy registered 30 defensive tackles and one interception during seven games with the 2015 Roughriders.

Tampa: In 28 games with the Roughriders, Anthony Allen (2014-15) rushed for 1,504 yards (averaging 5.8 yards per carry) and eight TDs. He added 48 receptions for 318 yards and three more scores. He rushed for 100-plus yards four times, peaking at 158 against Hamilton in the 2014 regular-season opener — his CFL debut. Also of note: A 15-yard, game-winning TD run with 28 seconds left in the 2014 Labour Day Classic. Make the final: Roughriders 35, Blue Bombers 30.

ROLL CREDITS …

• Nice people who deserve a plug: Anton Amundrud, Darian Durant, Sigalit Durant, Amayah Durant, Talyah Durant, Zoey Durant, Mike O’Donnell, John Lipp, Kelsey Lonie, Blake Tiedeman, Morgan Fleury, Brad Herauf, Anthony Allen, Bobby Thompson, Jeff Bentrim, Brent Ghiglione, Dr. Mark Anderson, Kelsey Rosenkranz and Mark Habicht.