Lumsden reinjures shoulder in Eskimos' debut

Jesse Lumsden's much-anticipated debut with the Edmonton Eskimos lasted less than one quarter.

Lumsden, the son of former Eskimos fullback Neil Lumsden, hurt his left shoulder with 33 seconds left in the first quarter of Thursday's season-opening 19-17 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Commonwealth Stadium.

It is the same shoulder that required surgery in each of the last two winters, and limited him to 19 games over the past two seasons.

"My heart goes out to him," Eskimos rookie head coach Richie Hall said. "There is a lot of life in Jesse.

"We don't know the extent of his injury right now. I know he is disappointed."

Lumsden, 26, hauled in a short pass out of the backfield and was hit hard by Blue Bombers linebacker Siddeeq Shabazz, who struck him flush on the shoulder.

Television replays revealed that Lumsden lowered the shoulder to absorb the hit.

To that point, he had rushed twice for five yards and caught three passes for 20 yards.

Trainers looked to be trying to pop the shoulder back into place on the sideline before Lumsden headed to the locker room and to a local hospital for X-rays.

"He was very frustrated when he came off the field," Hall said. "It is a tough time for him right now.

"He is very disappointed. He is doing the best under the circumstances."

Signed Feb. 17 with Eskimos

Lumsden, born in Edmonton but raised in Burlington, Ont., signed Feb. 17 with the Eskimos following four injury-prone seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The bruising running back has averaged an impressive 6.3 yards per carry in the CFL, compiling 1,797 yards and nine touchdowns on 285 carries, and seemed the perfect choice to shore up Edmonton's ground game — the league's worst last season.

Lumsden, the 2004 Hec Crighton Trophy winner as Canada's top collegiate player, was selected sixth overall by Hamilton in the 2005 CFL draft, but signed with the Seattle Seahawks.

After failing to make the Seahawks out of training camp, he inked a deal with the Tiger-Cats on Sept. 12, 2005.

Lumsden rushing for 370 yards and one touchdown in five starts that season before returning to the NFL.

He was released by the Washington Redskins on Aug. 29, 2006, and re-signed with the Tiger-Cats two weeks later.