In 2022, a wholly refreshed Ottawa REDBLACKS roster took to the field with high expectations, it never quite got off the ground, sending them back to the drawing board once again.
Jaelon Acklin, a key piece to the great reset, shattered expectations, becoming one of the most prominent receivers in the entire Canadian Football League. His personal performance, although exceptional from the outside looking in, wasn’t up to snuff for Acklin’s own expectations, particularly when it comes to his efforts without the ball in his hands.
“I have to be a better teammate and leader,” Acklin said truthfully, despite leading the REDBLACKS with 1,169 receiving yards. “It was my first time being asked to do it, and sometimes, I struggled off the field.”
Whether in the locker room or hanging out with his teammates at various places around Ottawa, he has come to realize that his duties are more expansive than they were in Hamilton, while with the Tiger-Cats.
There, he was behind players like Brandon Banks and Bralon Addison, but now, he is the veteran leader himself. Normally the fun-loving guy who tries not to take things too seriously, this has admittedly been a long process for the Mountain View, Missouri native.
Over the offseason, he has spent time reflecting upon what he could have – and will do – better this upcoming season.
“It’s demanding more from my teammates off the field,” Acklin said. “It could be something as simple as getting someone to pick up the trash they left in the sauna. That comes with leadership, and I think Coach Dyce does a good job of demanding the little things in the locker room, and life in general.”
Acklin credits part of this mindset shift to Head Coach, Bob Dyce. He has borrowed some of his leadership skills, and plans to implement them in his own life.
“Coach Dyce doesn’t demand perfection, because he knows people aren’t perfect, but he wants everything to be perfect,” Acklin said. “He holds everyone to a higher standard and doesn’t let things slide. If you’re going to put yourself before the team, he’ll tell you to find a new team.”
As one of the most veteran players in the receivers’ room, Acklin has been an attractive option for the team’s young players when they are seeking advice. He says that both Keaton Bruggeling and Siaosi Mariner have been particularly close with him, to which he has been receptive.
His advice to them is rather simple: become leaders off the field, but make plays when you have a chance.
“I tell them to be the best person and teammate they can be,” Acklin said. “Let your personality shine in interviews, but when there’s a play to be made, you gotta make it. I can’t wait to see what they do this year.”
The hope is that this new-found side of Acklin can help lead the REDBLACKS to a bounce-back season.
There’s plenty of build on after 2022, especially in the first four games where Jeremiah Masoli was healthy, but make no mistake about it, there’s lots of work to be done. The solution isn’t magic.
“It’s a two-way street, because when Jeremiah got hurt, we were 0-4,” Acklin said. “If you ask me if we looked better, I mean, yeah, we did, but we still weren’t winning games. We have to find a way to figure that out, or it’s going to happen again. Jeremiah and I didn’t come to Ottawa just to be close to winning games, we came to win championships.”
With training camp rapidly approaching, Acklin says it doesn’t matter what the pundits are saying about them, they control their own narrative, and will be the ones who determine their fate.
“It’s up to us – from the start of camp, to the end of the season – what we’re going to be,” Acklin explained with a fiery tone. “We have to demand the best from ourselves. We have to expect to make the playoffs and be in the Grey Cup. We’re not here to collect paycheques, we have to win if we want to keep our jobs.”
