Veteran Ottawa quarterback Masoli to make '23 season debut versus Ticats
CTV
Jeremiah Masoli will make his season debut when Ottawa visits the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday night. Masoli's return will come a year to the day when he suffered a season-ending leg injury versus the Saskatchewan Roughriders -- a span of 17 games that saw the Redblacks go 5-12.
They're opponents now, but Simoni Lawrence still has a soft spot in his heart for Jeremiah Masoli.
Masoli will make his season debut when Ottawa (1-2) visits the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-3) on Saturday night. Masoli's return will come a year to the day when he suffered a season-ending leg injury versus the Saskatchewan Roughriders -- a span of 17 games that saw the Redblacks go 5-12.
"Honestly, Jeremiah is one of those guys that even though he's on the other side you kind of root for him," Lawrence said following the Ticats' walkthrough Friday at Tim Hortons Field. "(That's) because he's such a great person and you know how much he loves football.
"For him to go through all of that and now have the opportunity to do something he loves, I'm happy for him, his wife and his children."
Masoli, 34, was Lawrence's teammate for nine seasons in Hamilton before Masoli signed with Ottawa as a free agent following the 2021 campaign. The former Oregon star appeared in 114 regular-season games (starting 51) with the Ticats, passing for 15,555 yards and 80 touchdowns while rushing for 1,507 yards and 18 TDs.
However, that won't stop Lawrence from doing all he can to make life miserable for both Masoli and the Redblacks' offence.
"He knows how we're built," Lawrence said. "I'm sure he'll try to embarrass me and that's the same thing on this side.
