Offensive line starters bitten by injury bug

What a difference a couple of weeks can make on the Edmonton Eskimos offensive line.

Two games ago, as all five starting offensive linemen were on the field as the Edmonton Eskimos kicked off their first meeting of the year with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Up to that point, left tackle Joel Figueroa, left guard Simeon Rottier, centre Justin Sorensen, right guard Matt O’Donnell and right tackle Tony Washington hadn’t missed a single game.

Fast-forward to the first day of practice ahead of Thursday’s game against the Ottawa Redblacks (5:30 p.m., TSN, 630 CHED), and things are looking dramatically different.

“To look at our starting lineup this week and know the changes that are coming, it’s pretty incredible from three weeks ago to now,” said head coach Jason Maas. “But that’s one of the positions of depth and strength on our football club and it will be the case again.”

Over the past three games, the Eskimos saw injuries to Rottier, Figueroa, Sorensen, and Rottier’s replacement, Danny Groulx, who finished out Friday’s game in obvious pain with back spasms.

“Danny was unbelievable in that game,” said Maas, who dealt with his share of back problems during his career as a quarterback.

“Everyone thinks, ‘Oh, a sore back’ — if you have a sore back and it has spasms in it, it’s hard to keep playing.

“For him to gut it out, and knowing that (defensive tackle) Almondo Sewell was the emergency offensive lineman) and would have been for about two-and-a-half quarters, as much faith as I have in Almondo getting the job done, it was nice to see Danny step up and fight through.”