Blue Bombers Training Camp Report | Day 5

It was a good 30-45 minutes after the last grunts were heard at Winnipeg Blue Bombers training camp and a lone figure remained in his practice gear and still grinding.

Over and over again, linebacker Lane Novak was honing his long-snapping skills and as his human targets eventually grew bored and ventured inside, he set up a kicking net to receive his attempts.

One after another after another.

“I just started about three weeks ago,” said Novak with a grin in a chat with bluebombers.com. “It’s something I didn’t know how to do and through the Combine process (in Regina in March) it had been brought up and other teams were interested in knowing whether I did it. So, I just started learning.

“There was a period during the Combine where they said, ‘Hey… anyone who is a long snapper get in and do some long snaps.’ Well, there were two guys that went and long snapped out of 90. That’s it. And every coach there was standing there watching and I thought, ‘Wow, I’m really missing out on an opportunity here.’ So, I just started learning.

“I got the guy on my team (the University of Saskatchewan Huskies) Jayden Engel to help me out and then a few coaches along the way,” he added. “It’s a great skill you can have, especially as a Canadian special teams guy. The more you can do; that’s the whole mentality.

“Honestly, I’ve taken leaps and bounds since those first couple days when I was really bad. It’s just reps, as with everything. You’ve got to do something 10,000 times they say and I’m maybe 500 in so I’ve got a long way to go but I’m going to keep working at it.”

The Blue Bombers grabbed Novak in the fifth round, 45th overall, in the CFL Draft earlier this month and the U of S product — who is the youngest player in training camp and with a year of U Sports eligibility in his back pocket — has been a steady riser since the first day rookies were on the field over a week ago.

He missed Thursday’s session with a knock of some sort but is definitely in the early conversation for a roster spot.

“Real sharp, very good football player, loves everything about it… well, not everything. He doesn’t love today and not practising — that would be a thing that he would hate,” said head coach Mike O’Shea following practice Thursday. “First impressions, actually, second or third because we interviewed him, saw him at the Combine and watched some film on him, he’s the kind of guy you like to have on your team, for sure.”

And just to hammer those thoughts home, here’s Novak when asked for a self-scout:

“I’m honestly just someone who really, really loves the game. I’m someone who plays passionately, someone who plays smart.

“At this level everybody is crazy athletic; everybody is crazy strong so that’s where being savvy and smart and using technique is so important. I’m someone who is an honest player who plays the game right but plays it smart and plays it hard and fast.”

The Huskies Football Rookie of the Year in 2020, Novak had 25 tackles, two tackles for a loss, one interception, two pass break ups and a forced fumble in eight games a year ago. That’s emblematic of what we’ve already seen in camp, with the young product of Balgonie, SK consistently popping off the page with a variety of plays.

“It’s about doing as much as I can,” Novak said. “If the coaches ask anything of me, I try to be ready. I want to know what I’m doing and do it with a good attitude so it’s about flying around, talking to the coaches and taking as many coaching points as I can and trying to be friendly. It’s really just doing anything I can to try and become a role player on this team.

“This whole experience has been awesome. That LB (linebacker) room is pretty fun. The whole defence is amazing. They’re serious but at the same time they have some fun. We have quite a few laughs in there as well. They’ve been so helpful. That’s one thing I’m super-impressed with — how helpful they are in giving tips to young guys and doing as much as they can for us. I’m super grateful for that.”

Novak admitted that he had a ‘I can’t believe I’m here/pinch me’ moment, but since CFL Draft night has been locked in on trying to earn a gig in Blue Bombers colours.

“Absolutely I had that,” he said. “On draft night I started to think, ‘Holy smokes I’m going to be in camp with these guys.’

“It’s funny, lots of time in life we build it up in our heads and get excited for it or nervous about it and then you get there and get to work, and you realize they’re just people, too. And they’re awesome people here. There’s such a great group of leaders here and now they’re teammates and I’m flying around beside them. That’s amazing to me.”

Job No. 1 for Novak is to keep grinding through camp and then the two preseason games — both against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. And then the dream is to be wearing blue and gold when the real games begin next month.

As for his family, friends and relatives back home — all diehards of the Riders — well, he’s heard from them, too.

“They have been on me a little bit about being drafted by the Bombers,” he said, laughing. “Actually, there’s been lots of that. At the same time everyone has been so supportive. I’ve definitely felt the love from back home.

“I can’t imagine how different the Labour Day Classic and the Banjo Bowl would look now. Maybe I’ll transition a few people over into wearing blue. I’ve got lots of family in Saskatchewan, so they’ll be around. I’ve got family in Yorkton, and that’s not far from here. They’ll be around, believe me.”

RULE CHANGES: The CFL has adopted six rule changes for 2025, most of them aimed at improving player safety.

CFL Board of Governors approve six rule adjustments for upcoming season

We won’t break them all down here, but those that stand out include:

‘A penalty has been created to deter low hits on receivers who are not in a position to adequately protect themselves. A 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down will be called when a blow is delivered at or below the knees of a receiver who is in the act of catching a pass, while in a vulnerable position. Should the receiver jump, they will lose low hit protection.’

And, as well, the removal of restricted major penalties:

• The restriction when applying the maximum distance on all major penalties, misconducts and rough play disqualifications will be removed.
• The total distance of the penalty yardage will be applied, to a maximum of the one-yard line.
• i.e. Play commences at the 20-yard line and the defending team is assessed a 25-yard Grade Two Roughing the Passer penalty. Rather than being penalized half the distance to the goal, whereby the ensuing play will commence from the 10-yard line, the full distance will be applied to a maximum of the one-yard line, where in this instance, the following play will commence.

“Player safety is always an issue,” said O’Shea, who is on the CFL rules committee. “Those ones are very, very easy to agree upon and they move (get passed) pretty quickly.”

O’Shea has also been vocal in the past about preserving the rules, especially on special teams, that make the CFL so unique — like the onside dribble kick used to success by the Montreal Alouettes in the last couple of seasons.

“I definitely vote as a Canadian, as a CFL purist, in those moments,” said O’Shea. “Now, whether or not my one vote really matters… I would keep all the nuances of our kicking game in the game.”

FYI: Not practising on Thursday were KR/PR Peyton Logan, OT Eric Lofton, DB Jamal Parker, Jr., Rec Dalton Schoen, DT Cam Lawson, LB Lane Novak… With Lofton down Kendall Randolph continues to get a lot of work at right tackle… And without Logan on the field the list of kick returners includes Myron Mitchell, Kody Case, Dillon Mitchell, Gavin Cobb, Evan Holm, Keilahn Harris, David Wallis and Jaylen Hall.

NEXT: The Blue Bombers will be on the practice field beside Winnipeg Soccer Federation South (211 Chancellor Matheson Road) from Friday from 8:30 a.m. -12:10 p.m.