Masoli finally gets his chance to start again

Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli will make his first start in over a year on Thursday when he faces the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium.

Masoli was signed by the club in 2022 to be the starting quarterback and a face of the franchise. Great things were expected, but Masoli suffered season-ending injuries to his leg and Achilles tendon since his arrival that have limited him to just 136 passing attempts over parts of three seasons.

The 35-year-old Masoli is getting the call Thursday because Redblacks starter Dru Brown hurt his leg in a Week 10 tie with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Ottawa head coach Bob Dyce told reporters that he didn’t believe the injury was serious, but Brown will not dress in Calgary.

“It's been an opportunity to battle challenges,” Masoli said of the long road back from injury. “I knew there was light at the end of the tunnel, but…nobody wants to go through that kind of stuff.”

Masoli, who played college football at Oregon and Mississippi, established his CFL career in Hamilton, where he played eight seasons for the Tiger-Cats and built a reputation as a team-first, selfless presence in the locker room.

He said that one of the positives about the past two years has been learning just how many people in Canadian football have his back.

“I learned that I’ve got a bunch of people in my corner,” he said. “Just to see the overwhelming support from people that I know and don't know, it put a lot of things in perspective.”

Redblacks receiver Jaelon Acklin was teammates with Masoli in Hamilton. Acklin and the other Redblacks are thrilled that Masoli’s long wait to play again is finally over.

“I couldn't be more happy for him just as a person, and being able to get this opportunity again is something we all look forward to for him,” Acklin said.

The Redblacks have appreciated how Masoli has continued to help and provide guidance during his injury rehab. Acklin detailed some of the smaller nuances Masoli has taught the team’s young receivers. Those pointers have been invaluable for a Redblacks team that sits second in the East Division at 5-2-1. 

“Say [the defence] is running a Cover 2 and [the offence] has a slant-and-go [route for the receiver],” Acklin explained. “He would say, ‘You're not going to want to get inside the corner. You're gonna want to stay outside of them. So don't sell the slant as much, and then we're gonna hit you in the Cover 2 hole, which is in between the safety and the corner.’”

Masoli said he’ll always be willing to help players transition to the three-down game.

“I'm always going to help them with the whole new aspect of the game – reading a defence – because when you come up here, the defences look completely different for a lot of guys,” Masoli said.

Masoli and Redblacks general manager Shawn Burke have a long history together that dates back to their time in Hamilton. Burke was hired by the Redblacks in late 2021 and said he signed Masoli as much for his impact off the field as on.

“He’s one of the big first guys I signed because I've seen what impact he has on teammates,” Burke said. “…No one in this league or in this country that follows this league is not gonna have goosebumps to see him have this chance to go out on the field and run out as a No. 1.”

Masoli restructured his deal last off-season so he could continue in Ottawa after only appearing in five games over his first two years. Burke said he wanted that important voice in the locker room to remain. 

“I think maybe our fan base thought we were going to do more of an overhaul than we did, but we wanted to be strategic with the type of guys that we brought in,” Burke said. “We're bringing a guy that fit what we wanted in terms of leadership, in terms of what we want our team to look like and emulate, and that's why we were very strategic. Jeremiah fits in with that mould.”

Masoli added that his time away from the field has reaffirmed his love of the Canadian game.

“I've always loved the CFL, but to have it ripped from you two years in a row, you just grow a love for it that much more, to suit up and be able to play the game that you love,” he said.

Masoli, who has played in more than 100 games in his CFL career, admitted that he might get caught up in the moment on Thursday night when he first takes the field.

“I thank the football gods for bringing me back,” Masoli added. “I'll definitely be thinking of all the hard work that me and my camp and everybody around me has put in just to get this far, but that'll be over pretty quick.

“I'm just trying to find a completion, if you know what I mean.”