Duron Carter was released by the Saskatchewan Roughriders during the team’s bye week in Week 9. He spoke to 3DownNation’s Justin Dunk about the decision and his future in football.

Justin Dunk: Were you surprised by the Riders’ decision to release you?

Carter: I was very surprised. I just got off the phone with Naaman Roosevelt, we were taken aback.

Dunk: Did the timing catch you off guard?

Carter: It’s professional football so you gotta take it how it comes and that’s how it came this time. I don’t hold any grudges or anything. They obviously had their reasons for what they’re doing and think it’s best for the team so I can’t go against that.

Dunk: In your mind was there anything you wish you did differently while with Saskatchewan?

Carter: No, nothing that I wish I did differently. On defence I was having a great time, it was amazing, but on offence they want their leaders to lead a certain way and say the right things. That’s just how they want it. I got a text from all the defensive coaches saying thanks for things and none of the offensive coaches text me.

Dunk: Did you feel like it was a different mentality on defence?

Carter: It was just much more relaxed, you could do your thing. On offence, it was more we all have to be on the same accord and everybody has to be positive even though we’re doing bad we still gotta be positive. I just always felt like I was the player that was going to take us out of being a slumping offence. Even last year I was always that guy to spark us. I guess that’s not going to happen this year.

Dunk: Do you feel like it’s natural for a receiver to want the ball as you vocalized after the loss to the Eskimos in Week 8?

Carter: Yeah, my production spoke for itself. Going into that game, we took out Caleb Holley and put me in his spot, that’s my roommate first of all, so that was difficult in itself. We got all this stuff game planned that’s supposed to go me and Naaman, me and Naaman, that’s what it’s supposed to be and we get halfway through the game and we’re down and me and Naaman still don’t have a target, it’s really frustrating. There was a whole bunch of stuff, we were supposed to kill it that Edmonton game.

Dunk: Did you want to play offence more instead of defence?

Carter: I was cool on ‘D’. But me being on offence helped the offence so I always wanted to be in there. I was always begging to go in there. I’m pretty sure I was mic’d up a few games where they caught me begging to go on offence and they wouldn’t put me in.

Dunk: How do you feel about your time in Riderville?

Carter: I’m sorry I disappointed them because those are the people that I really play for. I play for the fans, it’s fun for me being out there having people screaming your name and scoring touchdowns for them, just doing a whole bunch of joy. I’m sorry for disappointing them.

Dunk: How do you feel you disappointed the fans?

Carter: I’m cut. I’m not going to be scoring touchdowns, I was supposed to score touchdowns for the Humboldt people. It’s just a mess right now. You gotta live with what you got right now.

Dunk: Are there negative perceptions around being released?

Carter: When you get cut it’s like you did something because they could’ve traded me for a late round pick. I hate the whole perception of how I just get cut and I’m the reason I get cut. I’m on my Twitter and people are going back and forth like well you had trouble in Montreal. No telling what’s really going on but when you see somebody gets cut you think he had to do something wrong. And that’s my whole thing, the perception of me because I work so hard to try and be a good person and be real, I hate that whole perception.

Dunk: What’s next? Football? Travelling the world?

Carter: I gotta find the right situation for me. I don’t want to go into a situation where I’m in handcuffs, nobody wants to do that. Right now I’m just up in the air with it. I’ve been out of football plenty of times before and way worse than this one to the point where I never thought I would play football again. So I’m more focused on my mental stability and being happy and then football.

Dunk: What other teams have reached out to you?

Carter: I’m meeting with the Alouettes, we’ll see how that goes. Hamilton, Toronto and B.C.

Dunk: What are the odds of you playing football again in 2018?

Carter: Probably 60-40 playing. I just gotta see my options. I could go to NFL camp if I really wanted to, but I don’t know if I want to do that yet. I’ve seen all that [the Alliance of American Football. It’s really just about getting the best situation for me. No hard feelings, it happens in football and I can’t wait to play them.