When the Saskatchewan Roughriders take on the Lions at BC Place Stadium on Friday, Jason Clermont's teammates may have to steer him to the right locker room.
You can watch Clermont's return to Vancouver as part of a doubleheader on Wendy's CFL on TSN Friday Night Football at 10:30pm et/7:30pm pt. The Alouettes host the Argonauts in the opener at 7pm et/4pm pt.
Clermont returns to the city where he spent seven seasons and left as the sixth leading receiver in team history. He suffered a strained MCL late in the 2008 campaign but battled back to resume his career with the Roughriders (3-2).
"While this is an end to my time with the Lions (1-4), I embrace the opportunity to continue playing and look forward to the months ahead as I train like never before to make an impact wherever I may end up," said Clermont upon his release.
Now he finds himself back in his hometown on a team that is vying for top spot in the West Division while the Lions have managed just one win this season. So things have worked out for Clermont thus far.
While he has only caught seven passes for 81 yards this year, he has become a crowd favourite at Mosaic Stadium and should receive some cheers when he takes the field on Friday. While Clermont will play, slotback Andy Fantuz and returner Eric Morris will not due to injury.
Lions fans have had little to cheer this season as the team has struggled out of the gate. After an offseason that saw the departure of Clermont, Cameron Wake, Stefan Logan, Otis Floyd, Jamall Johnson and Charles Roberts, many are not surprised at the slow start.
But the way the Lions are losing has been surprising. Buck Pierce and the offence have struggled of late, scoring just 28 total points in the last two weeks, both losses.
Last week, Pierce completed eight of 16 passes for just 97 yards with one interception as the Lions were silenced in a 48-10 blowout at the hands of the Calgary Stampeders, who possessed the ball for over 37 minutes in the game.
A loss to the Roughriders could result in the Lions falling two full games behind the entire division, should the Stampeders beat the Blue Bombers on Saturday.
With running back Ian Smart out 2-4 weeks with a knee injury, the Lions brought in former Eskimo A.J. Harris to back up Martell Mallett, who has been a pleasant surprise. Mallett may have a big night against the Roughriders, who have had trouble stopping the run all season. With the sudden retirement of veteran defensive lineman Scott Schultz this week, the Riders defence may be in tough.
The only team allowing more yards on the ground is the Lions, which is good news for Wes Cates. But the addition of former Stampeders linebacker JoJuan Armour should make a difference on defence. Armour was signed last week after being released by the Stampeders because of an on-field incident during training camp.
Much like the Lions, the Roughriders have had their troubles on offence as well, ranking just ahead of the woeful Winnipeg Blue Bombers in overall yards and passing yards. So the defence may carry the day.
The Riders have taken their fans on a rollercoaster ride this season, with every game but one being decided by 10 points or less. Will this game come down to the wire, too? Find out Friday night on TSN.