Cam Lawson is back on the field this week after a year away due to knee injury; photos by Cameron Bartlett
It was just over a year ago — 372 days, to be precise — when Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive tackle Cam Lawson found himself in the visitors dressing room at Mosaic Stadium in Regina with his knee being examined by the team doctor.
Then came the bad news…
“‘You don’t have an ACL.'”
And with that not only was his 2024 season done, the next 12 months would become an emotional and physical torture chamber as the 26-year-old Caledon, Ont. product began the long road back to health and to the football field.
Little wonder, then, that he offered this when first asked by a scrum of reporters what it was like to be back at his post over the last two days of practice.
“It’s euphoric,” Lawson said with a wide grin. “Getting to hit people, playing football, playing the game you love especially after a long and arduous rehab process — it’s just great to be hack.
“That’s easily the toughest thing I’ve ever had to go through, for sure… in life, honestly. That was one of the hardest thing, the rehab, especially the whole year it took. That’s why it’s just so nice to be back out here again, be able to run and just be with the guys.”
Poised to have a bust-out season last year after posting five sacks and an interception in a rotational role in 2023, Lawson’s injury came in an innocent moment during the preseason against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“It was really random. I didn’t feel it at all,” he explained. “I hyper-extended my leg for maybe half a second, continued on in the play — no pop or anything like that — played the rest of the drive and then I came off and my leg felt a little unstable, a little weird.
“So, I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll get it checked out at half.'”
That’s when the bad news came from the team doctor. Moments later he was on the phone: “I called my mom and that was the hard part. That was probably one of the hardest phone calls I ever had to make.”
“Three days later I was in the gym front-squatting 405. I could pistol-squat, I could run. I had no issues. They were even considering rehabbing for six weeks, putting a brace on and then playing the season but that was a little risky, so I decided to go the surgery route.
“That made it harder because I didn’t have that moment where people usually go down and you know you tore it. It hit me out of the blue.”
Lawson gave a shout-out to the team’s athletic therapy staff led by Al Couture, and to his teammates who were going through the same thing in defensive back Jamal Parker, Jr. and receiver Dalton Schoen — all of whom are back on the field now.
“I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like without those guys,” he said. “They were there every step of the way with me. We grew really close together as friends and teammates and I appreciate them so much more than I ever have. They put in so much work and effort, and it really pushed me to put in more effort and work.
“So, shout-out to them. They’re great and I’m happy to see them playing, too. It made me a little jealous when they got out there first but it’s awesome to see them out there again, for sure.
“You go through peaks and valleys in it and those valleys can be extremely tough, especially in the offseason when you’re alone and you don’t have your teammates around you. You just have to lean on other people, like my family — my mom, my dad, my sister, they were all there for me and always cheering me on. Even in your darkest moments you always have people with you.”
Lawson rejoins a position group at defensive tackle that is stacked with talent. The crew includes veteran Jake Thomas, third-year man Tanner Schmekel, 2023 CFL Draft pick Collin Kornelson, who attended camp last year before returning to the University of Manitoba and Zack Davis of the Winnipeg Rifles. The American D-tackle spot features Jamal Woods and Devin Adams, along with newcomer Kevin Pointer.
Asked what he was most looking forward to the most in game action — like, perhaps, swallowing up a running back trying to find a hole in the line of scrimmage and slamming him into the turf — Lawson offered a bigger-picture take.
“It’s just making plays, honestly,” he said. “And having the crowd cheering and just that moment where everybody is cheering at you because you made an awesome play… connecting with fans like that is the best part of football right there — and having your teammates celebrating right there with you. That’s what I’m looking forward to, especially after watching a whole season on the sideline.
“You really have to appreciate what you have when you have it. It really can be taken away at any moment. Some people get injuries that end their careers. It makes you more grateful and appreciative of what you have and that you get to play the game you love.”
FYI: Dillon Mitchell was not at practice on Tuesday, with head coach Mike O’Shea indicating he had been ‘excused’ from the session.’… Not practising where RB Brady Oliveira, DBs Cam Allen, Josh Hagerty, Jake Kelly and Ethan Ball and receiver Keric Wheatfall… With Peyton Logan on the mend and Friday’s final preseason game on the horizon, Myron Mitchell, Trey Vaval, Gavin Cobb, David Wallis and Keilahn Harris were all fielding kicks at practice on Tuesday.
ICYMI: Our latest edition of The Huddle featuring Sergio Castillo was available on the Blue Bombers You Tube page and on X. Here it is, for those of you missed it live:
