All signs point toward Evans returning soon
Ciante Evans insists the cast on his hand isn’t going to slow him down.
After missing a couple of weeks of Calgary Stampeders practices because of a broken pinky finger suffered during the pre-season, Evans has been back out with his teammates this week.
While there are no guarantees that Evans is in the lineup against the Toronto Argonauts Saturday, the 25-year-old had some reassuring words for anyone worried about how his long-term absence might affect the Stampeders.
“I’m ready,” Evans said Wednesday. “No restrictions, I’m playing with a cast and the past two days I’ve been feeling good.”
In Evans’ absence, rookie Tre Roberson and second-year DB Patrick Levels took over the corner positions and for the most part acquitted themselves well against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the season opener.
When he’s ready to play, though, Evans is sure to slot right back into a starting job.
This is a two-time all-star and one of the CFL’s best cornerbacks we’re talking about.
The question is when the Stampeders coaching staff will decide he’s ready to go. With the game against the Argos set for Saturday and the Stamps returning to Calgary to take on the Ottawa Redblacks five days later, head coach Dave Dickenson acknowledged he may have to exercise caution with a few players returning from injury, including Evans.
“(Evans is) trending up,” Dickenson said. “Like (receiver Lemar Durant), both of those two. We do play a game five days after, but to me you always live in the present and you play your best roster for that game and certainly those two players are guys I believe are good players.”
Whether Evans returns Saturday or June 28 against the Redblacks, he doesn’t believe the injury will hamper him in any way on the field. A broken pinky finger also isn’t the sort of injury that is likely to cause him any reoccurring issues, so when he’s back, he should be back for good.
That didn’t make getting injured any less frustrating, though, particularly as it came after a long offseason and at a time when Evans was eager to get rolling.
“I was trying to make an interception and the receiver came back on the ball and when he realized I was in control of the ball, he tried to grab my hand in order for me to release it,” Evans said. “It left my pinky just by itself and the ball just came down and hit my pinky. “You’re trying to make the team, make an interception and make a play on the ball, but it happens. It’s part of the game.”
Evans certainly isn’t planning on changing the way he goes for interceptions. Last season, he led the Stampeders with five interceptions, while starting 17 games and recording 53 tackles.
He was an indispensable part of the league’s best defence, but at only 25 years old, there’s reason to believe he’s still getting better. Evans definitely thinks there’s lots of room for improvement.
“It’s a bucket list, honestly, especially with (defensive backs coach Josh Bell),” Evans said. “He’s always on us and critiquing us and being that guy who is telling us to keep our head low and stay humble.
“It’s all about the team and the room. We all compete against each other. Each year, I try to be the best DB on the team, but that’s all of us from (Jamar Wall) all the way down to the rookies. I don’t really set personal goals, I just know I want to be better this year than last year.”