Montreal Alouettes
MONTREAL — The comeback trail is heading in the right direction for injured Alouettes receiver S.J. Green.
Seven months after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair his right knee, Green announced Tuesday he expects to be a full go when camps open up at the end of May.
“As far as my rehab process, I am ahead,” Green told MontrealAlouettes.com. “I spoke with my surgeon and I spoke with my team physicians and we’ve come to the conclusion that I should be ready for camp, barring any setbacks.”
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S.J. Green missed all but two games of the Als’ 2016 campaign (The Canadian Press)
The 31-year-old suffered three torn ligaments and a torn meniscus back on June 30, the second week of the 2016 CFL season.
Green has emerged as one of the CFL’s top receivers throughout his 10-year career with the Alouettes, racking up 6,626 receiving yards and 42 touchdowns. The five-time East Division All-Star helped the Alouettes win back-to-back Grey Cup Championships in 2009 and 2010.
Rebounding from last year’s devastating injury has been a challenge for Green, a 6-foot-2, 216-pound receiver — but the process, he says, has been rewarding.
“This has been the most invigorating off-season I’ve had in a long time, just based on the fact that I had to do so much to get back to where I was and more,” said Green. “It’s been fun. It’s been a challenge. But I still have three months left and I’m looking forward to putting the finishing touches on before camp.
“I’ve been building myself back up from ground zero,” he added. “So there’s been a difference in my training this off-season – learning how to do different things all over again and training my body and my mind to just trust itself.”
A healthy S.J. Green would help the Montreal Alouettes in spades. First-year general manager Kavis Reed has been busy re-shaping the new-look Alouette offence, which will be led by long-time Rider Darian Durant and last year’s East Division Most Outstanding Player Ernest Jackson.
The Alouettes will have a new-look offence in 2017 led by Darian Durant (The Canadian Press)
With Nik Lewis also back in tow and the offensive-minded Jacques Chapdelaine on the sideline, the expectation is for an offensive resurgence in 2017.
Green is hoping for more than just a front row seat.
“Darian Durant is a quarterback that I’ve admired ever since we competed in the Grey Cup in 2009 and 2010,” said Green. “If I didn’t have Calvillo on my team at that point, I would have wanted Durant. I’m very excited to have him here in Montreal. The addition of Ernest Jackson too – I’ve watched him grow and mature since he started back in BC.
“To finally have the opportunity to work with him here in Montreal, to be able to help him learn and him help me learn is a process I’m looking forward to, with the addition of Nik Lewis as well.
“With him coming back there’s going to be a good mixture of veterans in the room.”
