Road to CFL hasn’t been an easy one for BC Lions receiver Ayden Eberhardt

B.C. Lions' Ayden Eberhardt, left, breaks a tackle by Hamilton Tiger-Cats' Will Sunderland during the second half of a CFL football game, in Vancouver, on Friday, September 27, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Resiliency has led Ayden Eberhardt to where he’s at.

The 27-year-old American receiver is enjoying a solid season with the B.C. Lions with 21 catches for 366 yards (17.4-yard average) and two touchdowns. But Eberhardt’s path to the CFL hasn’t been easy.

He suffered a serious knee injury as a senior at Wyoming in 2021. Roughly three months after undergoing surgery, Eberhardt was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a condition where the body’s immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

“If you’d told me when all of that was going down that I’d be playing pro football I probably would’ve questioned you a bit,” Eberhardt said. “It (diagnosis) made rehab much trickier trying to figure out what I could eat to be able to recover.

“But I’m super thankful for everyone who’s helped me get here. I love B.C. and playing in the CFL. It’s all surreal.”

Without insulin, glucose can’t enter cells to be used for energy, which can lead to a dangerous sugar buildup in the bloodstream. Type 1 diabetics must take insulin either via injection or an insulin pump to manage their blood sugar.

“It’s crazy because I went almost a year of recovery and testing foods to see what I could eat and how I must dose for different things,” Eberhardt said. “It’s definitely not easy and I’d say I’m still learning how to manage my sugar levels and make sure they’re in line through practice and meetings and what can I eat that helps and doesn’t help for games.

“But I think it has helped because as a professional athlete diet is very important and I have to think about mine quite a bit so it’s beneficial knowing what I’m eating.”

Eberhard allows himself cheat days to indulge in such treats as ice cream. But not sushi, at least for now.

“That breaks my heart because I absolutely love sushi,” he said. “But rice messes me up quite a bit.

“The thing is you just have to know how to dose for it, that’s kind of the motto I’ve been living by. I haven’t taken that leap yet (for sushi) but I need to and I’m going to.”

The six-foot-one, 200-pound Eberhardt signed with B.C. in February 2023 and played in two games as a rookie. He appeared in all 18 regular-season contests last year, recording 41 catches for 639 yards and two touchdowns.

“I felt comfortable last year but being 100 per cent honest, I think the game has slowed down for me now, whether it’s coverages, what to look for, how to play against different leverages,” Eberhardt said. “Obviously as time goes on you get more and more comfortable but I’d say this is probably the most comfortable I’ve been up here.”

Another reason for Eberhardt’s comfort level is familiarity. He has been teammates with Keon Hatcher Sr., Justin McInnis and Jevon Cottoy since arriving in B.C. and is in his second season with Stanley Berryhill III.

And Canadian starter Nathan Rourke is in his second season after returning to B.C. last August following NFL stints with New England, the New York Giants and Atlanta.

“It’s always nice to be able to pick each other’s brain during practice and games if we (receivers) see something we weren’t expecting or is new or different and how to play off of it,” Eberhardt said. “Nate is a great leader who plays his butt off.

“You can see how much he puts into the game and how bad he really wants to win … and as other people on the team see that, it motivates everybody.”

B.C. leads the CFL in net offence (408.3 yards per game) and stands second in passing (307.9). But the Lions are also fourth in rushing (106.4 yards) and boast the league’s leading runner in James Butler (619 yards, 5.5-yard average, five TDs).

“Ayden is an outstanding high-character individual whose talent on the football field has been evident this season,” said Kenny Kim of Summit Athletes, Eberhardt’s Florida-based agent. “He plays the game with a lot of passion and grit.

“Ayden has made considerable strides in overcoming initial challenges. His commitment to hard work is yielding a lot of success and he’ll continue to perform at a very high level.”

But it’s been a roller-coaster season for B.C. (3-5). The Lions have lost two straight heading into Thursday night’s game versus the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-2) at Hamilton Stadium.

“We’re so close,” Eberhardt said. “We’ve shown flashes, I just don’t think we’ve played a full complementary game as a team.

“I think once that happens and it clicks, then we’ll be rolling and it will continue from there.”

This report by Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press, was first published Aug. 6, 2025.