By Ian Hamilton, Leader-PostOctober 12, 2009Be the first to post a comment
REGINA — Weston Dressler began life as a spectator Tuesday — and hated it.
REGINA — Weston Dressler began life as a spectator Tuesday — and hated it.
“It’s not fun,” the second-year slotback said as the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders practised at Mosaic Stadium. “Really, just watching practice today, first day sitting out, it’s never fun watching so you try to keep yourself busy any way you can.”
For Dressler, that meant treatment — he suffered a sprained right ankle and fractured right fibula in Saturday’s 32-22 victory over the visiting Toronto Argonauts — followed by a few minutes of watching practice and a brief meeting with the media.
He did it all while sporting a plastic boot on his right foot and using crutches to get around.
“Aside from a hamstring injury, this has been the worst thing,” Dressler said when asked if this is the first major injury he has sustained. “First bone I ever broke in my body, so it’s a little different for me.”
Dressler was injured with just over three minutes left in Saturday’s contest, landing awkwardly after he jumped to catch a Darian Durant pass.
“Aside from a hamstring injury, this has been the worst thing,” Dressler said when asked if this is the first major injury he has sustained. “First bone I ever broke in my body, so it’s a little different for me.”
Dressler was injured with just over three minutes left in Saturday’s contest, landing awkwardly after he jumped to catch a Darian Durant pass.
“Right away, I just thought I might have rolled my ankle a little bit and, with the cold, I thought it was stinging a little more than usual,” Dressler said. “But once I got up and tried to put a little weight on it, it
didn’t feel right and I knew something wasn’t quite right.”
“When a guy as tough as Dressler stays down, you know it’s something pretty serious,” added Durant. “I just feel for him. I feel bad because it was a high throw ... That’s one thing he came up to me and told me was, ‘Don’t worry about that throw.’ He’s made that play five times this year already. It’s just part of the game.”
No one is sure right now what the immediate future holds for Dressler. Roughriders head coach Ken Miller said there’s a “slim chance” Dressler could return for the playoffs, while Dressler said the medicos don’t have a timeline because of swelling in his ankle.
No one is sure right now what the immediate future holds for Dressler. Roughriders head coach Ken Miller said there’s a “slim chance” Dressler could return for the playoffs, while Dressler said the medicos don’t have a timeline because of swelling in his ankle.
“(The fibula) is a pretty clean break, so they’re not too worried about that; they think that’ll heal pretty easily on its own,” he said. “The bigger issue is what’s going on in the ankle and we can’t get a good look at that quite yet.”
“We definitely don’t expect to get him back,” noted slotback Andy Fantuz. “If he happens to have a miraculous recovery, then great; it’s a good surprise for us. Our prayers go with him and he’s a tough guy. I’m sure he’ll get through it.”
In the meantime, the Roughriders will have to get through a stretch without their leading receiver (941 yards on 62 catches) and Durant will have to overcome the loss of his favourite target.
“When things get tough, he’s definitely a guy you’d look to,” Durant said. “I just have to open my eyes, find somebody else and I’m pretty sure whoever we put there will step right in and make plays.”
“When things get tough, he’s definitely a guy you’d look to,” Durant said. “I just have to open my eyes, find somebody else and I’m pretty sure whoever we put there will step right in and make plays.”
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