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.@sskroughriders QB Zach Collaros leaves the game after a "roughing the passer" head shot from Simoni Lawrence. #CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/j4VXfP8Siv — CFL on TSN (@CFLonTSN) June 13, 2019

Lawrence was penalized on the play and handed a two-game suspension for the hit in its aftermath.

The impact for Collaros was far more severe and another bump in the road in a run of bad luck for the pivot, who missed four regular-season games and the Western Semifinal against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last season because of a concussion.

Playing at the time for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Collaros was relegated to the six-game injured list.

By the end of July, and still working his way back from the controversial hit, Collaros was now a member of the Toronto Argonauts.

On Tuesday, he took his first live reps since the game clock read 13:35 in the first quarter of Week 1, this time in the blue and gold threads of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who traded for the pivot at last week’s trade deadline.

“It’s been tough, something worth talking about after the season,” Collaros said. “It hasn’t gone the way I wanted it to go. But I’m not special, a lot of people are in that situation, too. Again, I’m very lucky that I’m out here playing the game.”

Collaros said he told his wife and a few of his buddies on Monday night that it felt like the first day of training camp. The only difference was there was now on the ground.

“It’s amazing, just the thrill to get back out here and take some live reps today,” Collaros said. “It feels good.”

Collaros had been tipped off as to some chatter surrounding his name in the trade sphere. He said he wasn’t sure how serious it was.