A tough break – actually a pain in the neck – for Greg Bell has turned into a golden opportunity for Elijah Collins.
It’s that “next-man-up” mentality that football folks talk about a lot.
So, when the Ottawa REDBLACKS open their CFL schedule Saturday at home (7 p.m. at TD Place), against the Edmonton Elks, it’ll be Collins as the team’s starting running back, with Bell, suddenly shifted to the reserve list before Friday’s walkthrough, later moved to the one-game injured list.
Bell had been practising with a stiff neck much of the week, but it didn’t seem worrisome enough to sideline him. It got worse Thursday night.
“He had a setback; his neck got a little tight on him. It was a last-second thing,” said REDBLACKS coach Ryan Dinwiddie on Friday. “He wanted to work through it. Then it got inflamed on him, so he wasn’t available for contact. He could probably fight through it for the game, but we don’t want it to be a long-term injury. We don’t want to risk it.
“Elijah’s a good back; he and Greg are a bit different. (Elijah’s) maybe a bit more downhill, where Greg’s a bit shiftier. (Elijah) and Daniel (Adeboboye) will split the load. We trust those guys.”
So, Collins, who was on the practice roster a year ago, steps into the spotlight. It’s a great opportunity for the 25-year-old (Michigan State, Oklahoma State), who grew up in the Detroit area and lists running backs Le’Veon Bell, LeSean McCoy, Reggie Bush and Barry Sanders (his grandmother’s favourite player) as inspirations.
Collins found out he was starting on Friday morning.
“We were in meetings, checking the call sheets and looking at the depth charts, and I saw my name on there,” he said. “I was like, ‘Whoa, when did this happen?’ It’s pretty exciting, a dream come true.”
Collins’ journey took him through training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024. He was released in the final roster cutdown in late August. Is he feeling a bit anxious given the spot he’s now being put into?
“(Am I) nervous? No,” he said. “I don’t really sit and think about it much. Football is a kid’s game; it’s something that I love to do. Have fun out there, and the rest is what it is.”
In a world where players get signed and released and try to latch onto an opportunity when a door opens, Collins has done his best to stay prepared.
“People say, ‘The hay’s in the barn,’ but it’s never really in the barn; there’s always more work to do,” he said. “ ’Stay focused and keep sharpening the axe’ is what Coach Dinwiddie says. You never know when your day is coming.”
Jake Maier, who will line up as the starting quarterback Saturday, likes what he sees out of Collins.
“Elijah is a really nicely kept secret in this league,” he said. “He’s one of those guys who can really do a lot of things for us. He cares; he’s very locked into the game plan and the playbook.
“I’m gutted for Greg. I know how much he cares about being out there for us, and I know how hard he works, but I think he’d say the same thing. I think he’s excited for those guys to get the opportunity as well.”
It’s not like the REDBLACKS are going into game No. 1 fully healthy; defensive back Amari Henderson is among the players beginning the season on the one-game injured list, while defensive back King Ambers, fullback Emeric Boutin and receiver Nick Mardner are among those added to the six-game list.
It’s time to move past the pre-season, when the REDBLACKS won both their games over the Montreal Alouettes, and put points up when they count in the standings.
‘Watching (Thursday’s game, Hamilton vs. Montreal) gives you butterflies in the stomach,” said Dinwiddie. “We’re going to have some highs and lows (Saturday). We have to ride the ebbs and flows of the game. We’re going to have some adversity. We have to stick together, overcome it and find ways to win the game at the end.”
“We have to take care of the football, and we have to go get it,” said Dinwiddie. “Turnovers are key, look at (Thursday’s game), the pick six changed the outlook. We’re always challenging our defence to get turnovers that lead to points. We have to play a clean game; we have to be penalty-free. Penalties lead to points, the analytics show that.”
Also, the team will try to establish a balanced offence, keeping Collins and Adeboboye busy enough to help Maier establish an effective passing game.
“We have to take some shots, but we also have to get the run game going,” said Dinwiddie. “We always say, ‘Take what they give you, and eventually they’ll give you the game.’ ”
Stepping into the shoes of a No. 1 quarterback is not new for Maier, who won the REDBLACKS’ starting job over Dru Brown. Getting the offence to take a leap ahead from the pace of training camp and pre-season is on his shoulders.
‘That game-day feeling, you get the natural butterflies, the feeling of ‘Man, this is really cool, this is really important,’ ” he said. “But when you’re out there, once you get into the game flow, it starts to feel normal again. This is my sixth year, and I’ve had probably close to 50 starts. So, I feel pretty at home being out there on the field. The game speed will definitely be a little different.”
