Winnipeg Blue Bomber Thread

[jerrym]

Below is an interesting article on how James Murphy attended a Bomber tryout camp but was then drafted by Minnesota, a Bud Grant team with many player connections to the Bombers, and then ended up with a Hall of Fame career with the Bombers that included six 1,000 yard receiving seasons.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2023/08/...d-to-the-club/

[jerrym]

Below is an article discussing Dru Brown's outstanding come from behind win over the Elks including interviews with Brown and other Bombers.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2023/08/...on-in-my-life/

[jerrym]

WR Dalton Schoen is on a record setting pace with 23 TDs in 29 games.

Schoen has caught 23 touchdown passes in his first 29 games, which works out to 0.79 per game, a ratio that not even all-time great receivers like Milt Stegall, Geroy Simon, nor Allen Pitts attained in their storied careers.

Stegall is the CFL’s all-time touchdown leader with 147 (144 were on receptions), which works out to 0.74 majors per game over his 199 games of service.
Stegall had 19 touchdowns in his first 29 games with the Bombers, putting Schoen four ahead at this point in his career. ...


Former Bombers receiver David Williams has the best ratio for retired receivers with 0.77 per game. He had 78 receiving touchdowns in 101 games with Winnipeg, B.C., Ottawa, Edmonton and Toronto.
Only five players in CFL history have scored more than 0.79 touchdowns per game and they were all running backs — Jon Volpe (1.05 per game), Pat Abbruzzi (1.02), Bombers Hall of Famer Willard Reaves (0.85), Gil Fenerty (0.85) and Ulysses Curtis (0.81).

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/oth...es/ar-AA1g3MJu

[jerrym]

The longest serving Bomber, Canadian DL Jake Thomas, talks about his career below.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2023/08/...s-jake-thomas/

[jerrym]

Winnipeg has added four American players to its PR: WRs Ronnie Blackmon, who was also a KR and DB at the University of Colorado and was recently released from the Als PR; and Ravi Alston, who played at Montana State; DE Nate Givhan, a sack leader at Toledo; and DB Tryrique McGhee, in his third stint with the Bombers, after making the LA Rams PR in 2020.

[ArgoRavi]

Winnipeg has added four American players to its PR: WRs Ronnie Blackmon, who was also a KR and DB at the University of Colorado and was recently released from the Als PR; and Ravi Alston, who played at Montana State; DE Nate Givhan, a sack leader at Toledo; and DB Tryrique McGhee, in his third stint with the Bombers, after making the LA Rams PR in 2020.

This has to be the first Ravi to ever play professional football.

[argolio]

This has to be the first Ravi to ever play professional football.

In honour of you, I hope he makes it to the game roster.

[jerrym]

This has to be the first Ravi to ever play professional football.

The world needs more Ravis, not just the CFL.

[jerrym]

Former Jacksonville Jaguar WR free agent signing Oliver Martin has signed with the Bombers. He has an interesting profile. Although he never had much success in college, he was pursued by the NFL because of his athleticism and his numbers on his Pro Day.

[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.72)]Oliver Martin was a four-star recruit and U.S. Army All-American when he joined the Michigan Wolverines. Five years later, the wide receiver is a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars after frustrating stints with the Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers.
[/COLOR][COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.72)]Despite more than enough athleticism to interest NFL teams, Martin could never quite find a fit at the collegiate level. In five seasons, he caught four touchdown passes and never finished a season with more than 200 receiving yards.[/COLOR][COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.72)]Still, Martin raised eyebrows when he posted a 41-inch vertical and 134-inch broad jump at the Nebraska Pro Day.[/COLOR]

https://jaguarswire.usatoday.com/202...roster-review/

A former four-star wide receiver recruit out of Iowa City (Iowa) West, Martin committed to Michigan in 2017. Two years later, he transferred back home to Iowa.
A year after that, the 2017 Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year was on the move again, this time ending up at Nebraska as a walk-on.
While his road has been full of speed bumps and detours, the fifth-year junior seems to have finally found where he belongs in Lincoln based on how well he's settled in over the past 12 months.
"I feel fast, explosive. I'm really confident in my abilities right now," Martin said. "I feel like I can execute the plays that the coaches are calling, whether it's getting up into the zone or getting up against man coverage. I feel really good with where I'm at right now."

Talent and athleticism have never been issues for Martin. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder was a Rivals250 prospect who held offers from half of the Big Ten Conference, Auburn, Florida, Oregon, Notre Dame, and several others.
Martin set multiple Iowa high school records, including career receptions (239), receiving yards (3,449), and touchdowns (33). He was also an eight-time state champion swimmer.
After redshirting his first year at Michigan, Martin saw action in 13 games (one start) for the Wolverines in 2018, finishing with 11 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown.
He then decided to return to his home state for a fresh start at Iowa, but he only had five receptions for 28 yards and one score in five appearances as a redshirt sophomore in 2019.
Needing another change of scenery, Martin transferred to Nebraska in 2020.
"I just felt it was in my best interest to seek out a different option than the situation I was in (at Iowa)," Martin said.

https://nebraska.rivals.com/news/oli...ad-to-nebraska

[ArgoRavi]

3downnation.com had to make the point that Martin caught passes from Nathan Rourke in the preseason.

[jerrym]

The Bombers are doing well attendance-wise with their home game against the Argos on September 29th already announced as their third consecutive sellout.

[jerrym]

Global DE Thiadric Hansen returns to game action against the Argos after missing more than a year on the injury list for a torn Achilles heel.

[jerrym]

Former Argo WR Markeith Ambles has been signed to the Bomber PR.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2023/10/...actice-roster/

[jerrym]

Six Bombers made the CFL All-Star team.

https://www.bluebombers.com/2023/11/...s-announced-2/

[jerrym]

Brady Oliveira is the West nominee for Most Outstanding Canadian and for Most Outstanding Player while Jermarcus Hardrick is the West nominee for Most Outstanding Lineman and Mike O'Shea for Coach of the Year.

[Will]

Willie Jefferson re-signed in Winnipeg last week.

[Argo57]

Jordan Younger promoted to Bombers DC.
This was a guy I would have liked the Argos to investigate as a candidate for their vacant DC position ( maybe they did, who knows).
Good on Younger who has paid his dues in the CFL.

https://3downnation.com/2024/01/08/w...e-mike-miller/