The Blue Bombers extended a winning streak on Friday night but everyone's mind was on left tackle Stanley Bryant who was taken off the field on a stretcher just minutes into the game.
Bryant took a knee after blocking on a play during the first drive of the game. He had originally got up after the play and was making his way back to the huddle when he went down and took a knee. When team training staff came out he attempted to get up under his own power but ended up sitting down again and a stretcher was called.
There was a 16-minute delay from the time Bryant went down until he was taken off the field by stretcher with many people concerned.
“I don’t normally talk about this stuff," coach Mike O'Shea told reporters after a game. "It looks not good, but Stan is feeling a lot better. I don’t normally do this, but because of what people see on TV I just want everybody to know he called and said he’s feeling a lot better.
“It was a combination, I think, of the heat and being sick – he was sick all week, in a short week, and it just all added up to him not feeling good for a second.”
It was 24 degrees at Princess Auto Stadium at the time. However, a heat warning was in effect, as the humidity was sitting at 62 per cent and made the temperature feel more like 31 degrees.
Darren Cameron, the team's Senior Director of Public and Player Relations, posted on X last night that he and some players went and visited Bryant in hospital after the game.
"He is awake and resting, and while further evaluation will continue tomorrow, he is doing okay," Cameron said. Bryant was able to listen to the final moments of the game and Cameron said that "as soon as the final whistle blew, the phone rang: 'Tell the boys congrats, I’m alright, and I love them.'"
The team says that Bryant will undergo more observation and testing on Saturday.
“It’s worrying, especially when that stretcher comes out,” said centre Chris Kolankowski, as reported by Ed Tait of the Blue Bombers. “I’m not sure what it is, but we hear he’s doing alright. It’s about dealing with the emotions in the moment and then once he’s off the field we’ve just got to do what we do and play how we play and make him proud, the way Stan would want to see. That’s what we were saying, ‘Let’s do what would make Stan proud if he was able to watch the game.’
“That was tough. I’ve never experienced that as a player, and I’ve played a lot of football. Luckily that’s the first time that’s happened, so it’s tough. It’s about breathing, thinking about it, looking at the guys around you and rallying.”