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“I do know he will be very emotional. All of us this week, seeing him on the market, had been fairly emotional,” Jason Maas says.
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The scars on the best knee of Reggie White Jr. are conspicuous.
The massive one, from the underside of his thigh to close his calf, has 26 staples, the Alouettes receiver mentioned. The opposite, on the entrance of his knee, has near 12. White doesn’t have a look at them a lot any longer, concentrating on the long run whereas placing the previous in his rear-view mirror.
“After the surgical procedure I couldn’t wait to see it,” White mentioned earlier this week. “It was wrapped up for per week and a half. I couldn’t wait to unwrap it and see the scar. There’s loads of staples and I shot a video. It was cool to me however I do know individuals don’t like seeing that.”
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It has been greater than 600 days since White tore three ligaments within the knee throughout an October 2022 recreation in opposition to Ottawa. He missed your entire 2023 season and was sidelined this yr at coaching camp with a rib damage, initially positioned on the six-game injured record solely to be faraway from it final week.
Thursday evening, additionally in opposition to the Redblacks, White will make his return within the Als’ regular-season residence opener (7:30 p.m., TSN3, TSN5, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM). Redblacks defensive-back Damon Webb, the participant who injured White in a freak accident, stays an Ottawa starter.
“I do know he’s going to be very emotional,” head coach Jason Maas mentioned. “All of us this week, seeing him on the market, had been fairly emotional. I believe it’s going to be an superior second for him. He labored his butt off to get again to this degree.”
White, 6-foot-2 and 227 kilos, was coming into his personal when the damage occurred. It was his first full season as a starter and he caught 53 passes for 722 yards, scoring two touchdowns, in 15 video games. He has the scale and velocity to make a distinction on the sphere, whereas contributing to an offence that continues taking a again seat to the defensive performances produced.
Street to the Cup
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“I’m fired up for him, not anxious in any respect,” Als receivers coach Mike Lionello mentioned. “I’m over the moon excited for him to have this chance, and particularly in opposition to Ottawa.
“He appears just like the Reggie White we all know — an enormous physique that may run, transfer, change instructions and field you out for the ball. I can’t wait.”
Neither, it appears, can White. He has loads of household — together with his girlfriend and 19-month-old son — coming from Baltimore to witness his return and contribute emotional assist. The damage proved to be a blessing in a single sense, permitting him to return residence and witness the beginning of Reggie White III two weeks later. White wears a bracelet with the phrase household on his proper wrist.
White’s time away from the sphere was lengthy, he admitted, an emotional roller-coaster of highs and lows; the occasional doubt whether or not today would ever arrive creeping into his thoughts.
“I didn’t cry and I wasn’t down,” he mentioned. “I wasn’t up, however by no means misplaced my religion. Some days I’d get up feeling good. Some days … I didn’t know if I’d have the ability to come again as a result of the knee was hurting. Watching the video games was robust. It was onerous for me to sit down there and watch. However I positively gained loads of data, sitting there watching and being affected person. I’m grateful. It let me benefit from the journey.”
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Apart from observe, White by no means has caught a cross that meant something from quarterback Cody Fajardo. The 2 have been spending additional time collectively this week, White asking Fajardo loads of questions on route-running and what the QB needs to see from him.
“We is likely to be a bit of rusty right here and there,” White admitted. “However as soon as we get that connection actually down, I believe it’ll be a sight to see. The hardest half might be getting my wind again the primary couple of drives; getting the reference to Fajardo. Nevertheless it’s going to be like driving a bicycle once more. I’m excited. I’ve been ready for today an extended, very long time.”
Lionello gave White loads of reps in observe this week, hoping that might speed up the method. Now we watch and wait, understanding it probably will take a while. However with receiver Tyler Snead on the six-game injured record (foot), White’s return couldn’t be extra well timed.
“You’ll be able to’t count on him to be, for anyone … you’ll be able to’t count on them to be themselves,” Lionello mentioned. “However there’s no motive why they will’t. You must perceive they’ve had loads of day off.”
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
twitter.com/HerbZurkowsky1
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