Dickenson hopes to be back later

Former University of Montana star Dave Dickenson isn’t writing off this CFL season just yet, despite undergoing his third knee operation in less than a year last week.

After missing most of training camp, the veteran B.C. Lions quarterback started the first three regular-season games, but left each one early with swelling and soreness. It was a hit to the knee in last weekend’s game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders that put him back on the operating table.

“You don’t ever want to give up on a season, ever,” said Dickenson, who had arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday to repair a meniscal tear in his knee. “Even if you just have to come back for the playoffs.”

Dickenson, who underwent surgery twice in the off-season after he was injured late last year, is looking to return to the Lions’ lineup in late August or early September.

Dickenson, who completed 28 of 46 passes for 503 yards in his appearances this year, said he never felt fully comfortable on the field. Still, he won’t second-guess his decision to start the season.

“They don’t pay you to sit on the sideline,” he said before his Lions lost 25-9 to Edmonton on Friday night. “I’m not questioning my decision to try to go out there and play. I don’t think I really did anything to make it that much worse. I think the knee had already started down that path.

“I feel like I was playing pretty good football. I was coming around, feeling my groove a little bit in a few games. I’m just disappointed in that way.”

Casey Printers, who was the Lions’ third-stringer last season, made his first CFL start on Friday. Printers had performed well in relief of Dickenson this season, but looked shaky against Edmonton as the Lions didn’t register a touchdown.

In addition to repairing the meniscal tear, Lions orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Bob McCormack smoothed roughness on the joint surface and resurfaced another area. McCormack will also be working closely with Dickenson during his rehabilitation.