This is a story about a quarterback who was punted to the curb by a Canadian Football League team but has since found a home and is living large with the defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
And his name is not Zach Collaros.
Dakota Prukop had just finished practice on a chilly morning earlier this week when he was asked to rewind to Valentine’s Day and his release by the Edmonton Elks. And within hours the Blue Bombers came courting.
“I’m extremely grateful on so many levels,” began Prukop in a chat with bluebombers.com. “This is the place I wanted to be and it’s just weird how things worked out with me ending up here on a great team, run by a great organization with great coaches and, most importantly, a great locker room and players.”
There’s a divine intervention element to this story, too. Prukop said he and his wife were watching the Super Bowl the night before his release and he was commenting on seeing guys he had played with and against in college – including Cooper Kupp – win a championship.
“I had just finished what was a really rough season (with the Elks) and I said to my wife, ‘Man, what I would give to be on a championship-calibre team’,” he recalled. “I love football and I love winning and that’s why we play – to win. My wife was giving me a pep talk and we just prayed for guidance as to what’s next.
“I wake up in the morning to a phone call from Edmonton and it’s, ‘Hey, just wanted to let you know we’re going to release you and give you time to get picked up somewhere else.’ Then by the end of that afternoon, the deal was done with Winnipeg. It’s one of those things – be careful what you wish for, and then it worked out ten-fold.”
As everyone knows, this offence goes as Zach Collaros goes. And it’s Dru Brown who has been listed as the No. 2 QB all season long on the depth chart. Yet, the 28-year-old Prukop has found a place with this team as a versatile short-yardage specialist who has five touchdowns and gives offensive coordinator Buck Pierce some options in that package.
Most of all – like Collaros upon his arrival – Prukop has found a comfortable landing place that, as corny as this may sound, has reinvigorated his love for the game.
“I remember finishing our game last year when I was in Edmonton playing against Winnipeg,” said Prukop. “After the game I went up to Zach because we have a relationship and after seeing those guys and how they interact and going, ‘Man, what I would do to be on a team that loves each other and loves the game like that. It just looked like so much fun.’
“It’s crazy how this all worked out. It had really been since 2017 (in Toronto), when I felt like I was on a team that was tight-knit and won. Now that I’m here, it’s far exceeded my expectations.
“It’s one thing to witness all this from afar, but being a part of it now and being with guys that you love… I just feel like I belong here. We celebrate when we have success and pick each other up when we have adversity. That’s hard to see from the outside, but it’s what makes this team special.”
More on Saturday’s matchup with the Elks at IG Field in this week’s edition of 3 STORYLINES…
1. LOCK IT UP
The Blue Bombers have already crossed off a couple of key items on their season-long to-do list including first securing a spot in the Grey Cup derby and then nailing down a home playoff game.
Next up: securing first place in the West Division and the right to host the Western Final for the second straight season. The Blue Bombers last hosted consecutive divisional finals in the early 1990s, when the team finished first in the East Division in 1992-93-94. And the last time Winnipeg was the site of consecutive West Division Finals was 1961-62.
A win by the Blue Bombers against the Elks, coupled with a loss by the B.C. Lions earlier Saturday in Toronto, would secure that Western Final berth. Of note here: the Blue Bombers are 25-2 in their last 27 at IG Field, including last year’s Western Final win over Saskatchewan.
“Homefield advantage means being able to wake up in Winnipeg on game day,” began right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick. “It means feeling that love from Manitoba, hear that love from Manitoba, jump into that crowd in Manitoba… that should say enough.
“That’s what homefield advantage means. Our fans make it tough on people here, I hope the weather makes it tough on teams coming here. And we’re going to be Winnipeg tough.”
2. MORE FROM COLLAROS & CO?
The Blue Bombers have averaged 38.7 points in their last three games and have eclipsed the 30-point mark in six of their last eight. There’s offensive balance in that attack, too, as Zach Collaros has already achieved career highs with 3,874 yard passing and 32 TDs, while the ground game has hit the 100-yard mark in six of the last seven.
And just to hammer home the obvious – it’s Collaros that is making work, despite the injuries in a receiving corps that has taken Greg Ellingson, Nic Demski, Drew Wolitarsky and Carlton Agudosi out of the lineup at various stages.
“The thing with Zach is he always wants to get better and really has an understanding of how we’re going to attack certain defences and certain individuals each week,” said offensive coordinator Buck Pierce. “He’s just seeing the big picture really well right now.
“Throughout the course of the season you always have moving pieces and he’d be the first guy to tell you the pieces around him have done really well and are really starting to gel and understand that big picture of what we’re trying to do.”
Ellingson, Wolitarsky and Agudosi have yet to resume practising, although there is hope the first two could at least see some game action before the playoffs. In the meantime, Collaros just keeps rolling.
“It’s a mixture of a lot of things,” said Pierce. “But with Zach it’s his preparation and how he’s keeping his body in great physical shape. He and his receivers have really good chemistry and communication. Yes, there’s been a lot of moving parts with guys in and out, but credit for all of them for being on the same page.”
3. THE CORNELIUS FACTOR
The Elks recently locked up Taylor Cornelius, their young pivot, to a new contract as they clearly see something they can build around as their quarterback of the future.
His numbers against the Blue Bombers in four appearances dating back to last year certainly don’t offer much evidence of that, as he has one passing TD against five interceptions and a mediocre 61.5 quarterback efficiency rating.
But where Cornelius has had success against the Winnipeg defence, and others around the CFL, is buying time with his legs while also rushing for big chunks of real estate. He leads all QBs in rushing with 407 yards, adding seven touchdowns, and those totals rank him ninth overall. He rumbled for 59 yards on 15 carries against the Blue Bombers earlier this year and has averaged over five yards per carry in the four games against the ‘Dark Side’ defence.
“We knew he was a good runner last year, but they also had Dakota there last season to handle some of that,” said veteran defensive tackle Jake Thomas of Cornelius. “He’s really developed as a quarterback. It takes a little bit more time in this league, especially with the extra guy defensively for your read.
“He’s always had that capability to pull it down and run and he’s got one of the great arms in this league. The big thing is it just seems like he’s playing with more confidence now.”
