HAMILTON — Just a guess here, but let’s suggest there isn’t a single thing Mike O’Shea, Zach Collaros and Stanley Bryant haven’t seen unfold in a Canadian Football League game or inside a locker room.
After all, Bryant has 216 CFL games to his name, Collaros is at 156 while O’Shea played in 271 and has coached in 173 more.
So, yeah, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers starry triumvirate have been around some.
Interesting, then, to hear O’Shea and Collaros, in particular, speak on Thursday during the team’s media availability at Tim Hortons Field of the importance and value the club’s new faces have brought to the room and the gridiron this season.
It’s a storyline and a theme we’ve touched on before in this space, yet is certainly worth revisiting as the Blue Bombers have completely turned their season around while in the midst of a seven-game win streak.
And while last week’s 55-27 blowout win over the Edmonton Elks served up some prototypical performances from the likes of Collaros and Bryant, Nic Demski, Kenny Lawler, Willie Jefferson and Brady Oliveira, it’s the emergence of the team’s fresh faces that could be critical to a long run into November.
Guys like Pokey Wilson, Keric Wheatfall, Kevens Clercius, Terrell Bonds, TyJuan Garbutt, Devin Adams, Tyrell Ford, Michael Ayers and Tony Jones, among others.
“It’s fun to be around the guys,” said O’Shea on Thursday. “It’s fun to see the interactions between the young guys and the vets. They’re bringing some different pieces to the puzzle, too.
“It’s not stagnant, it’s fresh. And I think that’s invigorating for a lot of guys.
“They bring some different skillsets. They have all the attributes you’d want in good, young pro football players and then each guy has got something more in a different aspect. Not just for the coaching staff, but for the veteran guys I think it’s probably fun to be around to see these young guys develop and come into their own and know that they’ve had a hand in it, too. The vets are working hard to make sure these young guys know what they’re doing.”
The Blue Bombers impressive run over the last eight seasons — all playoff years — have been built so much on continuity, both on the roster and the coaching staff. The 2024 season was bound to be different with so many changes in the offseason then compounded by a rash of injuries to start the campaign.
All of that was a factor in the poor start, but the on-the-job training so many of the newer players have had this year has proven to be invaluable.
“It’s different, for sure — we do have quite a lot of young guys playing offensively and defensively,” said Collaros. “That injection of youth into the locker room is fun and being around some of the guys with more energy than some of us.
“They’ve learned a lot about this league and about the game in however many weeks it’s been. We’ve learned a lot about them… it’s not a vet vs. rookie thing it’s just every team is new and this one is a bit newer.
“It’s a great group of young guys and, as I’ve said since training camp, that receiving group has really been a joy to work with; the offensive line, Kendall (Randolph) has done a great job of stepping in at positions where he needed to step in, Gabe (Wallace) as well as he comes back from injury and they’ve brought some youth into that room as well.
“It’s a good crew,” he added. “We need to continue to believe in our process, prepare, prepare, prepare and go out and execute. But I really like this group.”
And as the wins continue to pile up — one more ‘W’ and the Blue Bombers secure a home playoff date and inch closer to securing first place in the West Division — that group becomes more and more likeable.
“I just think as you continue through the season there’s so many opportunities to get smarter and play better and this is what happens at this point of the year — guys are taking in previous information and applying it,” said O’Shea. “But you said it and I agree, we’ve won differently this year and at this point you need to be able to win differently.”
DEMSKI UPDATE: The Blue Bombers depth chart released Thursday listed receiver Nic Demski as a ‘GTD’ — game-time decision — after he suffered an apparent knee injury in Wednesday’s closed practice.
O’Shea said here in Hamilton that he was ‘very confident’ Demski would be good to go and then explained out the GTD — although it’s pretty self-explanatory — will play out today.
“I totally expect him to be fine. But he would get together with Al (Couture, head athletic therapist) and probably show up a few minutes earlier than normal and start his process and make sure he’s good. Then we have up until 30 minutes before game time to make the switch if we need to. It is a pro sport and it is a contact sport so our coaching staff is always prepared for the what ifs.”
If Demski can’t go it’s expected Jeremy Murphy would step into his roster spot.