Four Riders suffer suspected season-ending Achilles injuries ahead of training camp
Four member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders were sidelined with long-term injuries during a workout session in Regina on Thursday.
Defensive players Nelson Lokombo, Freddie Bishop and Larry Dean, and running back Jonathan Femi-Cole, all suffered Achilles injuries during the third and final day of workouts ahead of training camp, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday.
“We feel terrible about this,” said Riders’ general manager Jeremy O’Day. “Our players work very hard to get back to playing football. They've been very excited to be back in a stadium. Our heart goes out to those players that that were injured.”
O’Day said he believes all four injuries are season-ending, but the players are still being evaluated by medical staff.
The players were hurt in short time span during the workout, which resulted in trainers dealing with the injuries at the same time, according to O’Day. He said players were participating in drills he described as “nothing out of the ordinary” when the injuries happened.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, coaches and personal staff weren’t permitted at the unofficial practice. O’Day said the purpose of the workouts was to prepare players for football and called it an opportunity “to ramp them up until they’re practicing like normal.”
“To see this many of those injuries happen in such a short period of time is concerning,” he said.
The CFL season was cancelled in 2020 and players haven’t played in meaningful games since November 2019. The GM said time off could be a factor.
“In all my years of playing football, I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” said O’Day, who played 13 seasons in the CFL before joining the Riders’ front office as assistant GM in 2011.
Defensive back Lokombo was picked second overall by the Riders in the 2021 CFL draft. Dean, a linebacker, and Bishop, a defensive lineman, were both expected to takeover starting jobs on the Riders defensive unit.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
Dozens of U.S. deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.