It’s been weeks and weeks of the same mundane routine for Kenny Lawler dating back to early June when his 2024 Canadian Football League season took a serious detour with a fractured arm.
He’d train and train, make sure his cardio wasn’t dipping and get his lifts in during gym sessions all the while hoping and praying he could get back to work ASAP for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Undoubtedly there were some curses, too, as the club struggled through an 0-4 start.
Perhaps that’s partly why Tuesday’s Blue Bombers practice session — the first post-bye workout and the first featuring the gifted receiver back at his post — was so upbeat.
Yes, #89 is back and ready to terrorize opposition secondaries all over again.
“Feel great. First day out there, it’s been a long, long time. Everything I could’ve dreamt of,” began Lawler in a post-practice session with the media. “Man, being back out there, hard hat on with the guys… it’s just an overwhelming, great feeling.
“(Being out with injury) was hard, man. Especially when you’re sitting back on the sideline and not able to be really be out on the field and help win games. But, man, I just had to stay patient and help the young guys get to where they are right now. That definitely didn’t happen overnight, but we’ve seen the progress in the young guys and it’s been great.
“It’s about getting one per cent better each day and getting to where we want to be.”
The Blue Bombers attack could certainly use another weapon, what with Dalton Schoen gone for the season and Drew Wolitarsky on the six-game injured list. And in addition to Lawler’s return, rookie Keric Wheatfall — who had a 100-yard receiving game in Ottawa before his injury — was also back practising on Tuesday. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive end Celestin Haba was also back — his first work since the loss in Ottawa — and his return bolsters the D-line.
Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea would not confirm any of the above would return to the lineup for this Sunday’s game against the B.C. Lions in Vancouver, but the energy bump was obvious with them back at work.
“He’s running around out there. I know he’s happy, I know the guys are happy for him,” said O’Shea. “Anytime you miss a significant amount of time, obviously, your teammates are pretty excited for a guy when he gets to get back out there and do what he loves to do.”
“It’s great to have him back out there, his energy obviously, what he brings to the table from how explosive he is, how great he is catching the football,” added quarterback Zach Collaros. “Having a familiar face back out there, anytime you can add some leadership back on the field it helps. I’m just really happy for him personally.
“… having Kenny back’s huge for morale and for him personally. We’ve got some guys getting healthy on both sides of the ball. Anytime there’s more leadership on the field and more healthy guys, the better. We’re excited about that, for sure.”
BLOCKBUSTER NEWS: The Lions announced Tuesday the return of QB Nathan Rourke following his release from the Atlanta Falcons and it is the kind of transaction that sent shockwaves through the Canadian Football League.
The Lions media release also indicated the team would not be moving Vernon Adams, Jr., who had been a leading Most Outstanding Player candidate before his most recent injury caused him to miss last week’s loss to Edmonton.
Said Lions head coach Rick Campbell: “From talking to Nathan, I know how excited he is to be back with the Lions and to get going. For this to happen, it also had to include Vernon Adams Jr. being here. Vernon will not be traded and is too good a player, too valuable a leader, and a huge part of our team.”
Just about every Blue Bombers player who did media on Tuesday was asked about Rourke’s return, FYI. From Willie Jefferson:
“I’m happy for him, happy that he’s back. I know it’s been like a roller-coaster for him these last couple of years and these last couple of months bouncing around in the NFL.
“I’m happy he’s back in the CFL, but if we see him, we see him. We’ve played him before. We know the type of quarterback he is. He can get the ball to receivers in a good way, especially pushing it down the field and things like that. A very knowledgeable, young quarterback in the CFL, but if they decide to use him, hopefully, we can go out there and do what we did last (game) here at home.”
And from Collaros:
“Vernon was playing at an extremely high level, so now they’ve got two guys that’ll hopefully play at a high level for them. Good for the league in that aspect. I thought Jake (Dolegala) did a good job the other night from what I watched. (Jordan) Maksymic (Lions offensive coordinator) does a good job of getting his guys ready to play. Again, I don’t really care to comment much on their offence.”
The Blue Bombers defence, which shut out the Lions and limited them to four first downs in their last meeting, will prepare to face any of the Lions QBs in Rourke, Adams, Jr. or Dolegala.
“They don’t sign him not to play him,” said O’Shea. “He’s been in the system and he knows what to do. He got signed by another team, whatever, a week ago, and played a whole quarter in a pre-season (game). So I’m sure he’s a smart guy and can learn whatever new parts of the playbook are there for him to learn. Once again, you don’t sign a guy like that not to play him, right?”
One more from Collaros when asked by CJOB’s Derek Taylor if he could return to play right away if he missed a year and a half:
“It depends if I was drinking Miller Lites on the couch or if I was staying in shape.”
FYI: The Lions announced last week — prior to the Rourke announcement — they would be opening up the upper deck at B.C. Place for this weekend’s critical showdown with the Lions. The Rourke addition could push sales even further and the Blue Bombers practised with crowd noise on Tuesday — something usually reserved for the Labour Day Classic… OL Pat Neufeld and Drew Wolitarsky were spectators at practice Tuesday, with Kendall Randolph at guard and the receiving corps featuring Lawler, Nic Demski, Pokey Wilson, Josh Johnson and Kevens Clercius… The return of Lawler and Wheatfall from sick bay prompted the release of Ravi Alston from the practice roster.
ICYMI: Had the chance to chop it up with the Legendary Bob Irving on our weekly episode of the Huddle, live every Tuesday at 3 p.m. on the Blue Bombers YouTube page. Check it out here, and other previous episodes:
