There’ll be no basketball this off-season for Deron Mayo.

A year ago, the veteran linebacker was a smooth jump-shooting regular for the Stamps hoops team that toured Calgary and the surrounding area to play against teams from local schools. Mayo’s ongoing recovery from the torn patella tendon that ended his 2016 season, however, means the sneakers will stay in storage this winter.

“Maybe I’ll coach instead,” he quips. “I can’t play, but maybe I can still contribute to the team that way.”

While he’s contemplating being the Stamps’ version of Gregg Popovich, Mayo’s knee is coming along quite nicely. He’s working out regularly at Canada Olympic Park and fully expects to be ready when training camp gets under way.

“It’s going well,” reports Mayo, who despite missing the final two regular-season games of the 2016 season led the Stamps with 77 tackles. “I’m in good hands with (athletic therapists) Josh (Termeer) and Stephen (Wady) and Dr. Ryan Martin. I’ve really noticed the progress and the rehab is right on schedule.”

Mayo is philosophical about the serious injury that left him writhing in pain on the McMahon Stadium turf during the Stamps’ Oct. 15 game against Montreal.

“I said this at the end of the season but in a sport like football, the injury rate is basically 100 per cent,” he reasons. “It happens to everyone at some point and you just have to deal with it.”

Deron Mayo gets carted off the field after suffering a season-ending knee injury on Oct. 15, 2016 (Photo by David Moll)

Not that there’s ever a good time to get hurt but with Mayo and his wife Janelle expecting their first child shortly, the situation was especially challenging.

“I was basically immobilized,” says Mayo, “so it wasn’t easy. But if there’s a silver lining to all of this, it’s that it makes you realize that you aren’t alone. People have just been amazing. People have brought us fully cooked meals and have just helped us out in so many ways.”

Mayo’s teammate, close friend and fellow expectant father Bo Levi Mitchell has been especially helpful. The Stamps’ 2016 team photo was taken shortly after Mayo suffered the injury and a watchful Mitchell was a combination of mother hen and traffic cop as he ensured his ailing pal could comfortably get on stage and move into position for the snapshot.

Mitchell has been close by Mayo’s side throughout the recovery.

“Bo brought me everywhere I needed to go because I couldn’t drive,” says Mayo. “What he and so many others have done for us and the support we’ve received has been amazing. It really is the positive side to this injury.”

While Mayo was severely limited during the early stages of the rehab process, he hasn’t been completely inactive.

“Even though I was on crutches,” he laughs, “my wife had me working on the nursery. So I was building dressers and cribs. The nursery is ready to go.

“We decided we didn’t want to know if the baby was a boy or a girl so we’ve gone with neutral colours for now. We’ll add some colour – pink if it’s a girl or purple if it’s a boy – after the baby arrives.”