Dalton Schoen officially scribbled his name onto a contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in April, and just a few weeks later he had his car packed for the trek north from Kansas City to Manitoba.
And if you’ve made that drive – a straight shot along I-29 – well, let’s just say it’s a route that can give a man plenty of time to get lost in his thoughts.
“It’s an easy drive, but when you’re by yourself it’s tough because it’s pretty much straight north and there’s not a whole lot of landscape you’re driving through,” said Schoen with a grin Wednesday, not long after being crowned the Blue Bombers’ Most Outstanding Rookie. “There’s a lot of time to think. And I remember a few receivers being signed after me so right before I’m coming to training camp, I’m looking at the roster and there were 20-something receivers. You’re thinking to yourself, ‘What can I do to stand out on this team? How I do to go from 20-plus on the depth chart at receiver to somewhere in the Top 5 for a starting job?’”
Fast forward six months and Schoen didn’t just crack the roster or the starting lineup, he is putting the finishing touches on one of the most sensational rookie seasons in Canadian Football League history.
Heading into this Friday’s regular season finale against the B.C. Lions, Schoen leads the league with 1,357 receiving yards on 68 receptions – a sparkling average of 20 yards per catch – with 15 of them touchdowns, tied for the league lead with Ottawa RedBlacks quarterback Caleb Evans. He also leads the league in second-down conversion catches, with 40.
Needless to say – but we’ll say it anyway – he is a virtual lock for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie award.
That’s a lot of miles travelled, both figuratively and literally, since his ride north to Winnipeg in the spring.
“I definitely wouldn’t have thought of any of this happening, but I also just don’t let my thought process go there,” he said. “That’s the way I was in college and even now I don’t want the spotlight to be about me. I don’t want to even think too far ahead because when you do that, when you’re not in the moment, it makes you lose your edge.”
Schoen spoke Wednesday of how his approach so perfectly aligns with the club’s weekly mantra. And all of this isn’t to suggest the honours and awards don’t mean anything to the six Blue Bombers saluted on Wednesday.
“It’s never been something that is at the front of my thought process – I don’t think anyone thinks about those kind of things in this organization and that’s what’s so special about being here,” Schoen said. “It’s all about the team; it’s all about the team culture and it’s so easy for a guy like me coming in to see that culture with the older guys. I just follow suit. Everything that matters is yet to come for this team.”
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 local chapter of The Football Reporters of Canada – Derek Taylor of CJOB, Jeff Hamilton of The Free Press, The Sun’s Ted Wyman and Darrin Bauming of Bonfire Sports, along with Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea.
The East/West nominees will be announced next week following the next round of voting, with the league winners unveiled during Grey Cup week.
(*Indicates unanimous vote)
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER: Zac Collaros*
Position: Quarterback
His 2022 numbers: The CFL’s reigning MOP has posted career-best totals in passing yards (4,115) and touchdowns (35) with one game remaining. The 35 passing TDs is the most in the CFL and tied for third-most with Tom Clements (1987) in Blue Bombers history. Collaros’ TD-to-interception ratio of 35:13 is also the CFL’s best.
And the most important stat of all: the Blue Bombers are now a remarkable 31-4 in games Collaros has started since his arrival at the trade deadline in October of 2019 – including back-to-back Grey Cups.
FYI: Collaros becomes just the eighth player dating back to 1953 to be named the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Player in consecutive years after also earning the honour last season. The others: Leo Lewis (1960-62), Jim Washington (1976-77), Dieter Brock (1980-82), Willard Reaves (1983-84), Robert Mimbs (1990-91), Charles Roberts (2003-06) and Matt Nichols (2016-17).
MOST OUTSTANDING CANADIAN PLAYER: Nic Demski
Position: Receiver
His 2022 numbers: Even with missing four games earlier in the year Demski has put up career-best totals in receptions (64), receiving yards (772) and touchdowns (10). Demski also had a streak of six consecutive games scoring at least one touchdown this year between August 25th and October 8th – the second-longest streak in franchise history to Milt Stegall’s eight in 1997.
FYI: Demski’s 772 yards is the highest total by a Canadian receiver since Blue Bomber Hall of famer Gerald Wilcox posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons from 1993-95.
Nic says: “It means a lot. I just want to be that role model to kids and the younger generation can keep striving to be like. I try to help out in with the football community and in coaching to try and get kids to this level and to have a bunch of success and, ultimately, be better than me.”
MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Willie Jefferson
Position: Defensive end
His 2022 numbers: Jefferson leads the Blue Bombers with seven sacks and has added 30 tackles, an interception for a touchdown, two forced fumbles and has 10 pass knockdowns – third-most in the CFL heading into the final weekend and the most among defensive linemen.
Earlier this season he became the first player in CFL history to record 50 sacks and 50 pass knockdowns.
FYI: A Blue Bomber player has been named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive player for three straight seasons with Adam Bighill honoured in 2018 and 2021 and Jefferson in 2019.
Willie says: “All of the big-name players we have on this defence, all the playmakers we have on this defence to be named the top guy – I already consider myself a leader – so me getting this nomination just shows all my hard work and dedication and fortitude and leadership has come together.”
MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: Stanley Bryant
Position: Left tackle
His 2022 numbers: Bryant has been named the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman for a sixth time and is a three-time winner of the CFL’s top lineman – the only player to accomplish the feat in the award’s history.
Bryant has anchored the left side of the offensive line and a key part of an offensive unit that ranks second in points, sacks surrendered and rushing yards, and first in touchdowns.
FYI: Bryant has been named the club’s top O-lineman for five straight seasons and six times in his seven years with the team (Travis Bond was saluted in 2016). Only Chris Walby, who was named the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman nine times, has been honoured more.
Stanley says: “It’s always a good thing in a year to be recognized for an award like this. There’s a lot of great guys in this league, a lot of great guys on this team, especially offensive linemen. It could have gone to anyone.”
MOST OUTSTANDING ROOKIE: Dalton Schoen*
Position: receiver
His 2022 numbers: Listed above.
FYI: This is the second time in the last three seasons a receiver has been named the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Rookie, with Kenny Lawler being honoured in 2019 and cornerback DeAundre Alford, now with the Atlanta Falcons, recognized last season.
The last Bomber player to be named the CFL Most Outstanding Rookie was also a receiver, with Chris Matthews winning in 2012.
MOST OUTSTANDING SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER: Janarion Grant
Position: Kick returner
His 2022 numbers: Grant has the only two punt-return touchdowns in the CFL this year and has also added a score on a kickoff return. Those three TDs total seven in his career – in just 32 games – and make him the Blue Bombers’ all-time leader in return touchdowns.
Grant is second in the CFL in punt return yards at 750 – ranking first overall with a 13.4-yard average – fifth in kickoff return yards at 767, and with his rushing and receiving contributions on offence, ranks fifth in the league in combined yardage at 1,735.
FYI: The CFL’s Most Outstanding Special-Teams Player award has been in existence since 2000. Over that span the Blue Bombers award has been won by a kicker seven times, a special-teams tackling specialist five times and by a returner 10 times. The other returners: Albert Johnson III (2000 and 2006), Charles Roberts (2001), Keith Stokes (2004), Jovon Johnson (2009-11), Will Ford (2013) and Troy Stoudemire (2015).
Janarion says: “I can’t do it without (my teammates). It’s one man back there, but you also need your 11 guys just to be able to get in the way of another opponent – that’s all I need: just get in their way and it’s a wrap after that.”
For a look at the team-by-team nominees for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Awards, click here.
Bet Regal has the Blue Bombers as 3.5-point favourites for Friday’s game against the Lions:
- The Blue Bombers and Lions have split their two meetings this year, with Winnipeg winning 43-22 in Vancouver on July 9th and then falling 40-32 on October 15th, also on the west coast.
- Worth noting: Winnipeg is 6-1 in its last seven home games against B.C., including a 45-0 victory last October in the last meeting between the two teams at IG Field.
Winnipeg’s over-under point total is currently set at 27.5:
- The Blue Bombers have scored 196 points in their last five games, or an average of 39.2 per contest.
- Winnipeg has scored more than 30 points nine times in its last 13 games, including two games of more than 40 and once over 50.
Check out the CFL’s Blitz Picks, presented by BetRegal, here.
