It’s got all the makings of one of those feel-good Hallmark movies-of-the week. The script: a fresh-faced local product — and let’s up the ante by making him a dude who rescues dogs on the side — rises to fame and glory with his hometown football team.
There’s a possible sequel in the works, too, and that will depend very much on what Brady Oliveira and his Winnipeg Blue Bombers do in the next month or so.
Funny thing about all that… there was a time this winter around Canadian Football League free agency when the Blue Bombers were pushed up against the salary cap and facing the very real possibility of losing one or both of Oliveira and Dalton Schoen in the open market.
And that’s certainly not something lost on Bomber Nation and Oliveira on a day in which he was named the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian for a second straight season.
“There was a time in that offseason where I didn’t think I was coming back,” said Oliveira after Wednesday’s closed practice. “Everyone knows I wanted to be in Winnipeg. It’s my hometown… you still need to feel wanted, right? It’s still your business and your career and you want to go to a place where you feel wanted. I thought there was a time in that offseason, a stage where I was feeling a lot more love from other teams and not the team I wanted to feel that love from.
“I’m just extremely happy when I was going through that stage in the offseason where we were able to get it done.”
Clearly, he’s not alone. You see, Oliveira isn’t just a guy making fans in his hometown proud, he’s become one of the faces of the franchise and of the entire league. He’s gone from a kid playing with the North Winnipeg Nomads to the Oak Park Raiders to the University of North Dakota to a still-rising star chasing his second straight rushing title and again a legit candidate for league-wide Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian honours.
Consider this: just five years into his career and having turned 27 in August, Oliveira is already eighth on the Blue Bombers all-time rushing list with 4,282 yards. All seven of the names ahead of him on that list — Charles Roberts (9,987), Leo Lewis (8,861), Willard Reaves (5,923), Jim Washington (5,736), Gerry James (5,541), Andrew Harris (5,402) and Fred Reid (4,505) — are already in the Canadian Football or Winnipeg Football Club Halls of Fame or are headed there.
All of that isn’t lost on Oliveira.
“It’s a blessing, it honestly is,” he said. “Playing for my hometown team, the team I grew up watching as a kid… it’s still surreal to me every day I get to come to work. I get to do this and it’s an absolute honour and privilege to be a professional athlete. But being a pro in my hometown? It’s amazing. I get goosebumps. So, this will never get old.
“I’m surrounded by an amazing group of men that I get to come in and work with every single day. Great coaches… my running backs coach who has truly been elevating my game every single season and allowing me in these positions at the end of the year. I’m truly blessed to be where my feet are and be in this position. I don’t take it for granted.”
THE ENVELOPE PLEASE…
A look at the Blue Bombers nominees for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Awards, as voted on by four members of the local chapter of The Football Reporters of Canada – Derek Taylor of CJOB, The Sun’s Paul Friesen, Darrin Bauming of Bonfire Sports, Jeff Hamilton of The Free Press along with head coach Mike O’Shea.
The East/West nominees will be announced following the next round of voting, with the league winners unveiled during Grey Cup week.
*Indicates unanimous vote
Position: Running back
His 2024 numbers: Oliveira is a double-award winner for the second straight season, a year after being named the CFL’s top Canadian as well as the runner-up to Toronto’s Chad Kelly for the MOP award.
The Winnipeg product is in pursuit of a second consecutive league rushing title with one game remaining in the regular season. He has 1,318 yards rushing as part of his third consecutive 1,000-yard campaign and leads the CFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,783 yards, including 465 yards receiving on a career best 54 receptions.
FYI: Oliveira isn’t unique in doubling up on honours at the team level over the last two seasons. Multiple Blue Bombers award winners over the last 15 years have been: Mike Miller (Canadian, Special Teams, 2019), Willie Jefferson (Outstanding, Defence, 2019), Adam Bighill (Outstanding, Defence, 2018), Jamaal Westerman (Outstanding, Canadian, Defence, 2015), Lirim Hajrullahu (Canadian, Special Teams, Rookie, 2014), Henoc Muamba (Outstanding, Canadian, Defence, 2013), Jovon Johnson (Outstanding, Defence, Special Teams, 2011), Doug Brown (Outstanding, Canadian Defence, 2009), Doug Brown (Outstanding, Canadian, Defence, 2008).
Position: Cornerback
His 2024 numbers: Ford leads the club with seven interceptions in his first full season as a starter — one shy of league-leader Rolan Milligan, Jr. of the Saskatchewan Roughriders with one game remaining and has added 47 defensive tackles, four more on special teams and has 10 more pass knockdowns, tied for second most in the CFL.
FYI: Willie Jefferson and Adam Bighill had owned this award over the last five years – Jefferson winning in 2019, 2022, 2023 and Bighill in 2018 and 2021. Bighill won league Most Outstanding Defensive Player honours in ’18 and ’21; Jefferson in ’19. Ford is the first Blue Bombers defensive back to be named top defender since Chris Randle in 2017.
Ford says: “It’s cool. But we’ve got to beat Montreal to get that home playoff game. I played pretty well throughout the season, except for the first game. Getting two interceptions in the Banjo Bowl was pretty cool but it’s not just me it’s the whole defence helping me out — especially Evan (Holm) in telling me what to do and making the game easy. To come in and this being my first year starting… to win an award like that is special.”
Position: Left tackle
His 2024 numbers: Bryant is already the most-decorated offensive lineman in CFL history and has now been named the Blue Bombers best for a sixth time (2017-22, 2024). A four-time winner of the CFL’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award and seven-time CFL All-Star, Bryant continues to man the left tackle position for a Blue Bombers offence that features the league’s rushing leader in Oliveira and quarterback Zach Collaros, who is second in the CFL in passing yards.
FYI: Bryant has been named his team’s top lineman eight times, including 2011 and 2013 as a member of the Calgary Stampeders.
Bryant says: “I couldn’t do it without the other offensive linemen. We just strive to make each other better. We work hard each and every week and it’s a testament to how we commit as a group and try to prepare and just go out and play football. (The award) is not one of those things you really aim for — you just go out there and do your job and let things run its course.”
Position: Receiver
His 2024 numbers: Wilson has had a sensational first season with the Blue Bombers and currently leads the club in receiving yards with 943 yards on 63 receptions and for three touchdowns. He needs 57 yards receiving in the regular-season finale to reach the 1,000-yard mark in his first season and join Dalton Schoen (2022) and Chris Matthews (2012) as recent rookie receivers to eclipse that mark.
Wilson’s numbers include three 100-yard games and a season-high 201 yards on 13 catches in a game against Calgary in Week 6.
FYI: A receiver has been named the team’s top rookie three times in the last five years in Wilson this year, Dalton Schoen in 2022 and Kenny Lawler in 2019.
Schoen (2022), Chris Matthews (2012), Albert Johnson III (2000) and Joe Poplawski (1978) are Blue Bombers receivers who all won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie award since its inception in 1972.
Wilson says: “I’m just thankful. Back in training camp we had something like 30 rookie receivers, so it was overwhelming seeing a lot of guys and knowing that I’ve got to compete with all these guys and knowing there was a limited amount of spots. So, every day I came in and just tried to be the best I can be. Throughout training camp and the season I just tried to stay consistent and every day come in and be the best that I could be.”
Position: placekicker
His 2024 numbers: Castillo has connected on 80.7 percent of his field-goal attempts (46 of 57) with his 46 makes a new career high. Castillo leads the CFL with nine FGs made from 50-plus yards, with that total establishing a new single-season CFL record.
This is Castillo’s second team nomination as a member of the Blue Bombers and third of his career. The 33-year-old was named the Most Outstanding Special Teams Player with the B.C. Lions in 2019, the same season he was named to the CFL All-Star Team.
FYI: This award was first instituted by the CFL in 1999. Since then, a kicker has been the Blue Bombers nominee nine times – Castillo (2023-24), Justin Medlock (2016-19), Lirim Hajrullahu (2014), Justin Palardy (2012), Jon Ryan (2005) and Troy Westwood (2003).
Sergio says: “To be able to see everything how it’s gone — because I get to see football more than play compared to these guys — has been pretty cool. I feel very blessed to be around these guys and watch them do their thing and see how we’ve been able to turn it around. Some games it’s been the defence that carries us, or offence carries us special teams… it’s been a collective work to get us here.”
A look at the team-by-team nominees for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Awards: