On Wednesday afternoon, one month and two days after Marcus Ball injured his left ankle in a game, the starting outside linebacker was tucked into his own corner of the practice field. He sprinted, turned and tested the injury.
And then, as the healthy members of the Toronto Argonauts continued their on-field work, Ball picked a quiet spot on the sidelines and had a trainer wrap his ankle in ice with cellophane. It all seemed like a step forward.
“Hmm,” Ball said afterward. “You saw that? You weren't supposed to see that.”
He smirked: “I thought practice was closed.