Notebook: Glenn Love is ready to return

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have found Love again.

After spending what seemed to him to be an eternity on the CFL team’s six-game injured list, linebacker/special-teamer Glenn Love is set to play in Sunday’s contest against the visiting Calgary Stampeders.

“It has been a long, long time coming,” Love said after Friday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium. “It feels like a whole new season almost.

“I’m glad I’m coming back against Calgary, too. They’re supposed to be the best team in the CFL right now, so I’ve got to test myself against the best, right?”

Love played in Saskatchewan’s first five regular-season games, but he suffered a groin injury in a contest July 29 against the visiting Toronto Argonauts. The 28-year-old has been on the injured list ever since.

He has spent the intervening weeks rehabilitating the injury, working out, watching film and offering advice to his teammates in an effort to stay involved. But those activities haven’t made the situation any easier for the veteran to accept.

“It’s tough when you see your teammates lose a game, but it’s tough when you see them win a game, too,” Love said. “You want to be out there to support them and help the team out. I’m thankful to be back now.”

Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones said earlier this week that Love will take the roster spot of linebacker/special-teamer Cameron Ontko, who was injured in a 27-19 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sept. 15.

Love may have been hurt in the last game he played, but he doesn’t plan to ease his way back into the action Sunday.

“You’ve got to go full go,” he said. “You’ve got to trust yourself, trust your teammates beside you on either side and get after it.”

Love was leading Saskatchewan with 10 special-teams tackles through its opening five games. He since has been passed for the team lead by rookie Denzel Radford, who has 14 such stops.

“I’m happy for Radford,” said Love, who also trails Spencer Moore (11) on the Roughriders’ list of special-teams tacklers. “That gives me a little extra juice to catch up.”

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Love returns just in time to face Roy Finch, who’s the CFL’s runaway leader in punt returns this season.

Finch went into Week 14 as the league leader in returns (56), return yards (1,009), return touchdowns (three) and returns over 30 yards (eight). He’s averaging a CFL-best 18.0 yards per punt return and 26.2 yards per kickoff return.

“He trusts his guys when they’re blocking,” said Love, who played with Finch last season in Calgary. “He’s an explosive player. He sets guys up well (to be blocked) and he gets vertical. He’s a shifty little guy.

“He’s fresh, he’s good — and we’ve got to stop him as a group.”

Saskatchewan entered the week ranked sixth in the CFL in opponent’s punt-return average (11.0 yards).

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The Roughriders suffered a number of injuries in Hamilton, but many of the players who were hurt have been practising at full tilt this week.

Players like centre Brendon LaBatte, linebackers Otha Foster III and Kevin Francis, and defensive lineman Tobi Antigha haven’t shown any lasting effects from the injuries they sustained in that game. Receiver Duron Carter has been practising, but the ankle he sprained in the first quarter in Hamilton appears to be tender still.

“He says he’s ready to go,” Jones said. “I trust our trainers and I trust Duron.

“If we see that he can’t go, then we’ll have (Antwane) Grant on and Caleb Holley will go in (Carter’s wideout) spot. There ain’t no secrets.”

Meanwhile, quarterback Kevin Glenn — who didn’t play against the Tiger-Cats due to a bruised right hand — is expected to start for the Roughriders on Sunday.

Glenn injured the hand when he hit it on a Winnipeg Blue Bombers defender during Saskatchewan’s 48-28 road loss on Sept. 9. Glenn tried to throw some passes before the game in Hamilton, but eventually ceded the starting job to backup Brandon Bridge.

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Calgary tailback Jerome Messam has told reporters he expects to be a game-time decision Sunday.

Messam is recovering from a hit to the back of the head he received from B.C. Lions linebacker Micah Awe in the teams’ meeting on Saturday.

Whether Messam plays Sunday or not doesn’t concern the Roughriders.

“It makes absolutely no difference,” defensive tackle Ese Mrabure said. “We’re playing the Calgary Stampeders and whoever they have back there (at tailback) is going to be ready and prepped to play.

“As they’re prepped to play, we’re ready to play and ready to rock.”

That said, Mrabure is hoping that Messam does play.

The two men trained together in the off-season, so there’s some familiarity there. They also have some mutual friends, having lived in the neighbouring Ontario cities of Brampton (Messam) and Mississauga (Mrabure).

“There’s excitement around that,” Mrabure admitted, “but more so the bigger goal is beating Calgary and winning this game.”