Pre-Game - Zach Collaros 8
It’s a rather straightforward formula: crank out the most wins in the Canadian Football League – as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers did in compiling a franchise-best 15 victories – and the awards undoubtedly follow.
And, of course, all the individual honours will also mean absolutely nada when the ball is placed on the tee for the Western Final at IG Field on November 13th. Still, it’s certainly worth celebrating even if there is a much bigger prize on the horizon.
The CFL unveiled its West and East Division all-star teams on Wednesday and the Blue Bombers placed nine players on the West squad. That Blue Bombers list includes quarterback Zach Collaros, receivers Dalton Schoen and Nic Demski, tackle Stanley Bryant and guard Pat Neufeld, defensive end Willie Jefferson, linebacker Adam Bighill, defensive back Deatrick Nichols along with kick returner Janarion Grant. Here are nine numbers/facts to know about the Blue Bombers nine divisional all-stars…
20
Zach Collaros has been named a division all-star in consecutive seasons, marking the first time in 20 years a Blue Bombers quarterback has been saluted in back-to-back years.
The last to do it was Khari Jones, who was an East All-Star in 2001 and a West All-Star a year later as the Blue Bombers switched divisions.
Collaros is also a lock to be named the CFL’s All-Star quarterback in consecutive years – the CFL All-Star Team will be unveiled next week – and that would be a first for a Blue Bombers QB since Dieter Brock in 1980 and 1981.
8
Bighill has now been named a West All-Star eight times and for a third time as a Blue Bomber (also in 2018 and 2021), along with 2012-16 while with the B.C. Lions. He has also been a CFL All-Star six times.
5
Bryant and Jefferson have each been named to the West All-Star team for five straight seasons.
6/7/9
Just to put Bryant’s accomplishments into perspective, the three-time winner of the CFL’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award – he’s a finalist for it again this year – has been a CFL All-Star six times, possibly seven if he makes this year’s team. Chris Walby, hailed as arguably the greatest lineman in CFL history, was a league all-star nine times.
2
The Blue Bombers have a pair of O-linemen on the West squad in Bryant and Neufeld.
Coupled with the four from last year’s squad – also including Jermarcus Hardrick and Drew Desjarlais – that’s six linemen saluted in the last two seasons. Consider this: from 2009-16 the Blue Bombers had a total of seven OL named to the division all-star team.
3
A Blue Bombers player has been named the special-teams all-star on the West team for three straight years, with Janarion Grant following up Mike Miller, who was honoured in 2019 and 2021. The last Blue Bombers returner to be named to a division all-star team was Albert Johnson III in 2006.
7
With Nichols honoured among the defensive backs, the Blue Bombers have had at least one member of its secondary named to the division all-star team for seven consecutive seasons.
Previously: 2021 (Nichols, DeAundre Alford, Alden Darby, Jr. and Brandon Alexander); 2019 (Rose and Marcus Sayles); 2018 (Taylor Loffler); 2017 (Loffler, Chris Randle and T.J. Heath); 2016 (Heath, Loffler and cover linebacker/dime Maurice Leggett); 2015 (Johnny Adams).
3
Over the last two years the Blue Bombers scouting department has scored big with new talent. Schoen, a first-year Bomber, is on the ’22 West Division squad and a year ago it was Nichols and DeAundre Alford.
4
Six other players named to the division all-star teams have ties to the Blue Bombers – receiver Kenny Lawler, linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox, defensive back Marcus Sayles and quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who was on Winnipeg’s practice roster for a spell in 2016.
