All-star centre Sean McEwen expects to be ready for the Ottawa Redblacks' CFL season opener against the Edmonton Elks on June 6. The 32-year-old veteran has been working with the first-team offence at training camp this week for the first time since joining the team as a free agent.
McEwen, a 6-foot-1, 295-pound native of Calgary, has earned numerous accolades over his eight CFL seasons, including three all-star selections and four All-CFL nods. However, his path to this point has been arduous. He tore his ACL at Saskatchewan Roughriders camp a year ago, underwent surgery, and faced a gruelling rehabilitation process that left his football future uncertain.
A long road back
McEwen acknowledged the difficulty of his recovery. 'I got a lot of sympathy for people who have gone through long-term injuries before,' he said. 'I got hurt so early in training camp last year that it's been 19 months since I played in a football game. There's the physical part, but also the mental part.'
He added that career uncertainty compounded the challenge. 'Since I've been in the CFL, I don't think I've gone longer than a day without a contract. Trying to do this rehab while not knowing if there's going to be an opportunity on the other end was the toughest part. But I focused on what I could control.'
Self-belief and support
McEwen credited his wife for helping him maintain perspective. 'Just self-belief,' he said. 'I couldn't control if teams weren't making me an offer, but I could control what I was doing that day in the gym.'
Despite his pedigree, McEwen was 'surprised' it took so long for a team to sign him. 'I've been a good player in this league for a long time,' he said. 'But I guess you get to a certain age, and that kind of injury makes people unsure how you'll respond.'
The Redblacks signed McEwen after previous centre Peter Godber retired before camp. Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie's offence now has a veteran leader at the pivot position, and McEwen is eager to contribute.
