VANCOUVER — T.J. Lee was always the one to encourage a teammate felled by injury.
When the B.C. Lions defensive back went down early last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, he learned just how hollow those words can sound.
"It affects you mentally," said Lee. "You're so quick to tell people that get hurt, 'It's all right, you're going to be back.'
"When you're the one, you really have to internalize it as an experience that shouldn't get past you or impact you as an athlete ... you grow from it and come back."
After getting through training camp and pre-season, the 26-year-old Seattle native will play his first meaningful game since July on Saturday when B.C. hosts the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL season opener for both clubs.
"Football is an adversity sport," said Lee, the Lions' weakside halfback. "I'm happy that I got through it, and I'm happy that it's finally over and that I'm back to playing ball."
Lee rejoins a secondary that was decimated by injuries in 2016, but still attracted heavy criticism for a league-low nine interceptions.
While there was a lot of talk in training camp about the Lions' explosive offence, building on the last season's 12-6 record will rest heavily on a defence with a lot of new faces.
"We've lost a lot of good players that helped us win, but we have some other good players that are going to help us win," said linebacker Solomon Elimimian. "They might not be household names now, but I guarantee by the end of the season they will be."
Most of the Lions' household names reside on the other side of the ball, where third-year quarterback Jonathon Jennings leads an attack featuring receivers Emmanuel Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham, and running back Jeremiah Johnson.
"All the versatility we have, all the depth we have, all the fireworks we have on offence ... it's going to be really fun," said Jennings.
The Lions beat the Calgary Stampeders at B.C. Place Stadium in Week 1 last season, a victory that kick-started their resurgent campaign after a couple down years.
"Winning the first game definitely can propel you to be great," said Johnson. "We understand what's at stake. We know how to get there. We've just got to make it happen."
The Lions don't want to put too much emphasis on this year's opener, but with their next three games on the road against East Division opponents, this curtain-raiser seems more important than usual.
"The first win's always the hardest," said B.C. head coach and general manager Wally Buono. "When you're playing at home there's always added pressure.
"I'd rather the expectations be high than the expectations be so low that you're everybody's homecoming."
Expect the ball to be flying around on Saturday night with Jennings and Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly under centre. Reilly, who played for the Lions from 2010 to 2012 in a supporting role, led the CFL with 5,554 passing yards in 2016, while Jennings was third, coming in at 5,226.
"As long as they have Mike Reilly, they always have a chance to win," said Elimimian. "Mike's one of the toughest players in the CFL, and they've got some great weapons around him."
Those weapons for a club that was 10-8 last season before making the East final on the crossover include receiver Adarius Bowman, who led the CFL with 120 catches for 1,761 yards in 2016, and running back John White.
Gone is Derel Walker — second only to Bowman in receiving yards last year — as he tries his hand at the NFL, but Reilly believes overall the Eskimos are in a good place heading into 2017.
"We're a better football team," he told reporters in Edmonton this week. "We're in good shape, but that's all talk until Saturday happens."
Notes: It doesn't appear Lions receiver Chris Williams will be ready by the weekend. The speedster signed with B.C. in the off-season, but is still rehabbing from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee suffered last October while with the Ottawa Redblacks. ... Rookie kicker Ty Long looks set to get the call for the hosts with Swayze Waters taking it slow after injuring his quad in training camp.
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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
