Ottawa Redblacks wide receiver Shaq Evans and linebacker Javon Santos-Knox are set to make their season debuts against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday Night Football after missing the first seven weeks of the season with respective finger and hamstring injuries.
"No matter what happens tonight I’m just so thankful to be able to make my season debut tonight! I’ve been through it the last few years with significant injuries but one thing no one can say is I ever stopped working and I’m proud of that. So just thankful!" said Evans on Twitter ahead of the game.
No matter what happens tonight I’m just so thankful to be able to make my season debut tonight! I’ve been through it the last few years with significant injuries but one thing no one can say is I ever stopped working and I’m proud of that. So just thankful!
— Shaq Evans (@shaq_evans1) July 28, 2023
The 32-year-old Evans has been sidelined with a broken finger and is in his first season with the Redblacks after spending the past four seasons in the prairies with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Evans played in 10 games last season for the Riders, catching 32 passes for 487 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
A CFL All-Star and West Division All-Star in 2019, the former UCLA Bruin has caught 179-career passes for 2,830 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Redblacks' defence will also be bolstered with the return of middle linebacker Santos-Knox, who had been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
"I'm just happy that it's finally here and I'm able to do what I came here to do - and that's to help make this defence a great defence."
— Ottawa REDBLACKS (@REDBLACKS) July 27, 2023
🗣️ LB @jsant05 on his emotions ahead of returning from injury tomorrow night. pic.twitter.com/K8px53zbYO
"(I'm) super excited. (I've) been waiting for this moment for a bunch of weeks now and I'm just happy that it's finally here and I'm able to do what I came here to do - and that's to help make this defence a great defence," Santos-Knox said Thursday.
The Waterbury, Conn., native racked up a career-high 105 tackles and recorded a sack and an interception with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2022.
The 29-year-old UMass product was named the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Most Outstanding Defensive player for the first time in his career and was an East Division All-Star for the first time in his career.
