The days undoubtedly blurred together for Kyrie Wilson, especially as the calendar flipped from one month to the next without being able to do what has long been his passion: taking to the field for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and smacking around enemy ball carriers.
Just for the record, the last time the veteran linebacker suited up for a game was some 392 sleeps ago in Toronto – the same day he suffered an Achilles injury that cost him the rest of the 2022 season and the first seven contests of this year.
Over that long stretch, Wilson found comfort in his faith and his teammates just as the hours upon hours of rehab tested his resolve. Wilson hopes to be in the lineup this Thursday for the Blue Bombers’ critical match-up with the B.C. Lions and, understandably, there was a noticeable sense of joy in his voice and in his face as he finished up practice Sunday – a day in which he got a ton of work back at his familiar weak-side linebacker spot.
“It’s tough watching on the sidelines, but it’s good just to be back with the team and just being on the field,” began Wilson. “I’m going to be real honest with you guys – when you first get hurt it sucks but I just kept my faith in God. I knew he had a plan. We all go through things sometimes and you don’t really understand it. But me having faith in God and being around a team, it felt good.
“It still felt long, but you’re still around the team and the meeting room. You have to trust in the process that it’s going to work out.”
So, here’s the simple in-the-now take on the Blue Bombers as they emerged from their first bye week of their Canadian Football League season: Refreshed and revived, they now host the B.C. Lions (6-1) in what will be a mammoth game even this early on in the schedule. A second straight victory by the Leos at IG Field would push them four points ahead of the Blue Bombers (5-2) AND earn them the season series. A Winnipeg win, meanwhile, ties the two clubs and sets up a potential monumental showdown in October in Vancouver.
Pull out for a wider view and there’s also this: the defence looks like it will be getting a couple of familiar faces back in Wilson and cornerback Winston Rose – also a full participant on Sunday – and the value of their returns on and off the field can’t be overstated.
Both bring experience, of course, but there’s an infectious and emotional boost their return brings to those around them. That’s especially so with Wilson, who can find the sunshine in even the most dreary day – something head coach Mike O’Shea alluded to after Sunday’s practice.
“There’s more chatter when he makes a play, when he beats a block or when he flies past somebody,” O’Shea said. “He’s that type of athlete. He doesn’t go unnoticed, so when he’s out there flying around, and guys recognize how hard he’s worked… they see it firsthand on a daily basis just through rehab. There’s a little more volume out there when he’s running around making plays.”
“He’s a positive guy. He’s not going to harbour that negativity – nobody should. So, he has to switch his outlook, but I imagine in the moment it happened he wasn’t thinking that. I think their perspective changes. With a guy like Kyrie who is strong in his faith he probably switches quickly to, ‘Alright, this is what I’m dealt with’ and then he deals with it in the best way possible. He is a very positive guy.”
The availability of both Wilson and Rose could be massive this week, as it gives the club more defensive options against a Lions team that came into Winnipeg and pushed around the home side in a 30-6 victory.
“First time we played B.C. they just beat us, flat out,” said Rose. “If you watched the game, you saw what they did. They just had a better game than us. We’ve just got to get back to what we do. One play at a time and just try to get off the field and get the ball to the offence as much as we can, and special teams give good field position. Team football.”
More on the Blue Bombers in their return to work in this week’s NEED TO KNOW…
REFRESHED, REVIVED, RELOADED… The Blue Bombers, along with the Edmonton Elks, are one of the last teams to see their first bye on the schedule (the Elks get their first this week), while Toronto and Montreal, for example, have already had two breaks.
“It’s obviously hard to stay away, but I really tried to take my mind off the season, game planning and plays,” said Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros, who spent time with his wife and two daughters and some of the other players with families. “It’s tough – we’ve got to tell each other to stop texting each other about it. We’ve got a full week to prepare for (the Lions). Having that bye to rest our bodies was nice.”
THIS WILL BE THE FOCUS IN THE DAYS/WEEKS/MONTHS AHEAD… but here’s a look at the remaining schedule for Blue Bombers and Lions as we head into Thursday:
Wpg (11): vs. B.C.; @ Edm; @ Cal; vs. Mtl; @ Sask; vs. Sask; @ Ham.; vs. Tor; @ B.C.; vs. Edm; @ Cal.
B.C. (11): @ Wpg; vs. Cal; @ Sask; vs. Ham; @ Mtl; vs. Ott; @ Edm; vs. Sask; vs. Wpg; @ Ham; vs. Cal.
FYI:
The Blue Bombers got Wilson and Rose back on Sunday, while WR Dalton Schoen was present, but not participating. Canadian LB Jared Beeksma also appeared to be injured during the session.
ICYMI:
The Blue Bombers added to their D-line depth on the weekend, bringing aboard TyJuan Garbutt (6-2, 261). Garbutt made 36 starts over five years at Virginia Tech, registering had 121 tackles and 12 sacks and declared for the NFL Draft in January, but was not selected. He attended the Philadelphia Eagles rookie minicamp in May.
