Reblacks receiver Jaelen Acklin returns to practice 17 days after "scary" incident

"It felt good," Acklin said of being back on the job.

Published Sep 10, 2024  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  5 minute read

Jaelon Acklin Photo by Julie Oliver /Postmedia

The surging Ottawa Redblacks became a better team on Tuesday with the return to first-team status of Jaelon Acklin.

Just 17 days earlier in a home game against the B.C. Lions, the 29-year old veteran receiver went up to catch a pass in the end zone and landed hard on his back and neck. After spending several minutes immobilized, he left the field in an ambulance and spent the night in the hospital, where it was determined he had suffered a concussion but fortunately, nothing more.

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Acklin returned to practice last week, then took the final step on his road to recovery during the team’s first on-field session after Saturday’s 41-27 victory over the Toronto Argos.

He’ll return to his regular wideout spot this weekend when the Redblacks visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

“It felt good,” Acklin said of being back on the job. “I think I was a little out of shape, I didn’t run as much in practice and stuff. I felt normal, felt fine.”

Speaking publicly for the first time since the incident, Acklin said he didn’t immediately realize what happened, as he was “knocked out for a little bit” at the time of impact.

“After I woke up, they just said I couldn’t move, just precautions, because I landed on my neck,” he explained. “But I knew that I could move. I didn’t really know how long I was out there for. So when I got out of the hospital, I was like, wow, it was a way bigger deal than I thought that it was, because (girlfriend) Aynsley was really scared.

“At the time I wanted to get up and just give you guys a thumbs up, but I couldn’t really do that because my neck was still kind of sore, and they didn’t know what was wrong. So yeah it was a little bit scary, but I didn’t know it was that big of a deal to be honest. I didn’t mean for it to be either.”

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The hours following his crash landing were a bit of a blur.

“That was my first time really being knocked out, so I woke up and I was like, like, what’s going on?” said Acklin. “And you don’t really have time to think, because by that time, they were already lifting me up and putting me on the ambulance. I really regained full consciousness at the hospital, and it was like, what happened? Why is my jersey not on and stuff? And they were just telling me what happened.”

He was not aware that he was on field for as long as he was, a period of time that had teammates, fans and casual observers quite concerned.

“I remember them giving me IV, because I hate shots and that really woke me up a lot,” said Acklin. “I remember talking to the (ambulance attendants) a little bit too, but I don’t know where my sleeve went. I lost my sleeve and my cleats. I think the ambulance took them. But that’s all I really remember from that.”

The injury was not the worst Acklin has had in his football career, which includes five seasons in the CFL.

That distinction goes to a “bad stinger” he suffered in a helmet-on-helmet hit two seasons ago in Montreal.

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“I didn’t have full strength in my arm for two months,” Acklin remembered. “This one, I’d have full strength of everything. It was just a concussion and being knocked out.

“The one in Montreal was way worse.”

Football players are a special, brave breed.

You might think that Acklin, who became a first-time father when Aynsley gave birth to baby girl Poppy Marie on May 3, might pause and consider how long he wants to keep playing after what could have been a broken neck.

If so, you’d be wrong

“Every time I strap up my helmet, I know what I signed up for,” he said. “I’ve seen, what happens, and I’m not really afraid of anything. I take on hell with the squirt gun so I don’t really give a damn, to be honest.

“I had to tell Poppy it’s my job, and it’s something I always wanted to do. So I don’t want to take away from that. I’m a father first, but I also love football. I love what I’m doing, and I hope she does something that she loves doing when she’s older, and then, no matter what, she’s not afraid of failure or something like that, of getting hurt. I want her to do it to her fullest ability. If the time ever comes, yeah, I would, I would hang it up for Poppy, but right now, that’s not even a question.”

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Meanwhile, Redblacks coach Bob Dyce said it was “a great boost” for everybody on the team to see Acklin back on the field.

“It was a scary moment weeks ago, but we could see him in the building a little more (since then) than anybody that was outside,” said Dyce. “Last week, when he was out on the practice field, it was a boost for everybody. And then seeing him out there taking first team reps today, it was great. Happy for Ack. Happy that he’s 100 percent healthy, and look forward to seeing him be a big contributor to our offence.”

And that he has been, especially of late.

Acklin, who missed the last two games, is the Redblacks third leading receiver with 484 yards on 45 receptions. He’s been heating up in his last three full games with 18 receptions.

Quarterback Dru Brown said it was “huge” to see Acklin back on the field, and ready to pick up where he left off.

“He’s one of my good buddies on the team,” said Brown, “and you know how hard they work, and how hard they prepare and how hard you work to get back this quickly. Excited to see him kind of continue to grow and help us.”

As for the developing on-field chemistry between the two, Brown added: “I think that happens … it happens quickly with some guys, and then it happens a little bit slower, and then sometimes it doesn’t happen. So it kind of goes like that. All year I’ve kind of felt really comfortable with him out there. I think that he sees the game very similar to me, and we have good conversations about it, and we get good work out in practice.”

Which is something they are now able to continue doing.

GOING DEEP: OT Zack Pelehos will be sidelined for Saturday’s game with an ankle injury he suffered against the Argos … CB Brandon Dandridge missed Tuesday’s practice, but not the result of a game injury. “We’ll see where he’s at and go forward from there,” said Dyce … Redblacks have signed American DL Ronheen Bingham to the practice roster.

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