His member’s jacket hangs by the door. Keys to the private lounge in the coat pocket. Since the start of the summer, the club has been ready to roll out the red carpet for Manny Arceneaux.
An unfortunate breakdown pushed back his ETA several weeks. But the Edmonton Elks receiver is on his way now, and might even get there before sunset.
Needing just 34 receiving yards to reach 9,000 for his legendary career, Arceneaux makes his return from the six-game injured list tonight (Aug. 10) when the Green and Gold host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Commonwealth Stadium.
“It would be nice to hit the 9,000-yard mark in front of the home crowd with a victory,” Arceneaux says. “When you play team football, the individual accolades will come.”
Arceneaux will become just the 30th player in CFL history with 9,000 receiving yards, joining an exclusive club that includes some two dozen Canadian Football Hall of Famers, several who are members of the EE Wall of Honour.
“It’s crazy that I never just sat down and thought about it and looked at it like that,” Arceneaux says.” I guess because I’m still in the game, it really hasn’t hit me.”
This is Arceneaux’s second season in Edmonton. His CFL career started in 2009 with the BC Lions and included a season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. It’s taken him 157 games to rack up 8,966 receiving yards. His biggest objective for Game No. 158 isn’t getting 34 yards – it’s getting one win.
“From a team perspective, if special teams do what they do, defence does what they do, offence does what they do, I’ll have that 34 yards,” he says. “So I would love to get it, and that’s just something they can’t takeaway because that’s in the history book.”
Be there when the Elks take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the Indigenous Celebration at Commonwealth Stadium on August 10 presented by MHCare Medical. Being part of the action has never been more affordable, with tickets starting at just $15. Click here to get your tickets now and be part of the tradition.
Elks Football…Our Team. Our City.