If you didn’t catch it on TSN, then you’ve probably seen it on social media. These things tend to go viral, after all.
It happened during the third quarter of the Edmonton Elks. 30-20 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at IG Field in CFL preseason action last Friday.
After Edmonton’s Ka’Ron Ashley hauled in a Nick Arbuckle pass in the corner of the endzone for his first CFL touchdown, fellow Elks receiver Jalin Marshall jump towards Ashley for a celebratory back bump.
But Ashley didn’t see Marshall coming, so instead of leaping to meet his teammate in midair, he began sprinting out of the endzone, and Marshall – catching some serious air – went flying over Ashley’s shoulder, crashing to the turf.
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“When I heard him hit the ground, I just heard a big boom, and I instantly turned around and I was like, ok, let me make sure he’s good before I finish my celebration,” Ashley says.
“I was just so excited that he got that opportunity to score a touchdown and I wanted to celebrate with him, but I guess he was excited in his own little world, and did his own thing,” laughs Marshall. “But it’s ok, I was able to catch myself and land and make it back to the (sideline).”
Ka’Ron Ashley
While their celebration lacks coordination, there is some real chemistry developing among the Elks receivers during training camp. Ashley, 23, is a rookie out of West Florida looking to crack the Elks roster, while 26-year-old Ohio State product Marshall made his pro debut in 2016 and has been in the CFL since 2019.
“(Jalin) is one of the guys who I talk to on a daily basis that have taken me in, shown me the ropes,” says Ashley, who the Elks signed on May 19, a few days after training camp opened.
“He’s a guy that played at a high (NCAA) Division 1 school and I played Division II, so coming here, looking at these guys, I just look up to them already because they played a higher level of football than me, so I’m pretty sure they have a little bit more knowledge for the game, a little bit more speed to them as far breaking down certain aspects of the game, so I’m just soaking it up hanging around those guys as much possible”
Edmonton’s most experienced pass-catchers are CFL all-stars Emmanuel Arceneaux, Kenny Lawler and Derel Walker. Other CFL veteran receivers in camp include: Caleb Holley, 31; Mike Jones, 29; Shai Ross, 28; and Rashaun Simonise, 27.
“I’m not as old as the other veterans but I’ve been around for a while and I’ve kind of got the experience on just to be a pro, so when I see a guy that may be struggling in that aspect a little bit, I just try to help him out and let him know that you’re not in it by yourself,” says Marshall, who signed as a free-agent with the Elks in February following two seasons with the Hamilton Ti-Cats. “That’s why I was so excited for (Ashley) on (Friday) night, because I just felt like it was my little brother getting into the endzone.”
Jalin Marshall
Ten different Elks caught a pass in Friday’s victory. Ashley had three catches for 22 yards, while Marshall led all players on either team in both receptions (6) and yards (83).
“We have a real good chemistry” Marshall says of Edmonton’s wide receivers. “I think we’re at a point in our career where we understand what it takes to win, and that is a big part of it: the camaraderie among each position group is a big part of it and if we go out there and play for one another each time we’ll be successful.”
Edmonton wraps up the preseason by hosting the Calgary Stampeders on Stand With Ukraine night at The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.. All single game tickets can be purchased from Ticketmaster for just $15, with net proceeds going to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.
This will be Edmonton’s first home game of 2022, so could that mean the premiere performance of a new endzone routine?
‘We’re definitely going to work on that celebration,” Ashley says.