By: Riley Pollock – 27.03.25
Jack Follows got the monkey off his back this past weekend at the Rough House.
The first-year Roughneck found the back of the net against the San Diego Seals in transition for his first NLL goal.
He’s looked strong in his rookie season on defence and says it felt great to get the first one out of the way.
“It was a pretty crazy feeling,” explained Follows, who’s been strong in his rookie season. “Having that crazy crowd behind you. As a defensive player, not really expecting to score that many goals, it was a cool experience.”
Follows, who was taken 10th overall in the 2024 NLL draft, has played in all but one game this year for the Riggers. He says the jump to the pros has been an adjustment, but he feels he is getting better with each game.
“It’s been a learning curve for sure,” he said. “As the season has gone on, I’ve started to settle in and learn more on how the NLL game is played. I think that has helped my game a lot, especially over the second half of the season.”
The Riggers find themselves on a bye-week for the first time since Week 5, playing 12 games in 11 weeks since then. Follows says the bye is much needed as they lock in for the final three games.
“It’s good timing for us considering it’s been a while,” said Follows. “It’s good to get the body a rest and think about what we’ve done and have more time to reflect on how we can improve as a team.
“I think the timing is perfect coming down the final stretch of the season.”
With the Roughnecks sitting in ninth place, just outside the playoffs, Follows says it’s important to focus on just playing their style and maintaining focus throughout each outing in order to get back into a playoff spot.
“I think it’s important for us to not get away from our game and get back to playing Roughneck lacrosse,” he said. “We can’t get too worried about the ups and the downs and focus on one play at a time and stay positive. We need to have each others back and that is what ultimately will get us into the playoffs.”
The Roughnecks have won five of seven games on the road so far this season. Wins in Saskatchewan and Las Vegas to end the season would tie them for the most road wins in a single season by a Riggers squad.
“There’s something about going into someone else’s rink and trying to show them up, there is some pride in that and something we’ve done a good job of this year,” Follows said. “Some of it we need to bring back home as well. Continuing to prove ourselves as a team and continuing to grow is what is getting us to those wins.”
The Roughnecks return to the floor in Saskatoon in a battle with the Saskatchewan Rush next Saturday, April 4. They will finish off the regular season with a road matchup in Las Vegas April 18 before returning home the next night to host the Colorado Mammoth.
