Groundbreaking Bomber

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/09/2021 (1454 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER — Sergio Schiaffino Perez has a profile on the Canadian Football League’s website, but beyond his name, age, weight and birthplace, there’s little else to explore. He’s got no statistics to show for himself, because despite being with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers since 2019 he’s yet to play in a game.

That’s about to change Friday, when the Bombers visit the B.C. Lions at BC Place for a Week 9 matchup. After watching and learning from the sidelines, Schiaffino Perez has finally made the roster, fulfilling a dream of playing professional football in Canada.

“My whole family, the whole city back in Mexico is going to watch the game. My family has supported me my whole life so, yeah, they’re pretty excited,” Schiaffino Perez said Thursday. “I’m the first Mexican defensive back in history to play an official CFL game.”

Schiaffino Perez, who grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, a city located in northern part of Mexico about a two-hour drive to the Texas border. He was drafted by the Bombers in the first-ever CFL/Liga de Fútbol Americano Professional (LFA) draft in Mexico City, eighth overall, back in January of 2019. The draft was part of CFL 2.0 — a global initiative put in place by the league to recruit players from outside of Canada and the U.S. with the hope of expanding the CFL’s reach.

Prior to arriving in Winnipeg, Schiaffino Perez was playing with the Saltillo Dinos of the LFA and had never been to Canada. He spent the entire 2019 season on the Bombers practice roster, and watched from the sidelines as his teammates dominated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to claim the 107th Grey Cup.

When the CFL returned this season, he inked another contract and returned to Winnipeg ready to impress.

“I always felt like part of the team. In 2019, it was like a learning year,” Schiaffino Perez said. “Since I’ve come in 2021, to training camp, I’ve been ready to go.”

While head coach Mike O’Shea didn’t expand on how he plans to utilize Schiaffino Perez, he’ll likely start on special teams and go from there. One thing is for sure, though, he’s earned the opportunity to play.

“(It’s exciting) for his teammates, too,” O’Shea said. “He’s got excellent feet, he’s tough, he’s got great football sense. He’s going to run down those special teams for us and I’m sure we’re going to like what we see.”

BEST IN THE WEST: Friday is the first of two games against B.C. this month, with another date against the Lions on Oct. 23. Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson knows a pair of wins against their West Division foe will go a long ways in securing a division title.

“All games against a West opponent are important,” Jefferson said. “Coming down to the end of the season, we want that first place spot, we want that bye week and we want that game at home in Winnipeg. Whatever we need to do to separate ourselves from everybody else, we’re going to do that and B.C. is just another team in the way trying to stop our goal.”

The Bombers currently lead the West Division with a 6-1 record, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders close behind, at 5-2, followed by the Lions (4-3), Calgary Stampeders (2-5) and Edmonton Elks (2-5). Winnipeg is a perfect 4-0 against the West.

LIONS GOT BITE: You often hear in professional sports that teams are only as good as their record. It’s hard to argue that logic, though the Lions have a good case against it.

While boasting a modest 4-3 record, the Lions could easily be 6-1. Twice they’ve lost to Saskatchewan, including in their most recent meeting last week when they dropped a lead in the fourth quarter. In Week 1 against Saskatchewan, quarterback Michael Reilly was too injured to start the game, only to come in for the second half and fall just short of winning the game. Had he played all game, it’s reasonable to think the Lions might have won.

“This is a big game for us,” Lions head coach Rick Campbell said. “We need to embrace those big moments when the game is close and on the line and we expect more of those games coming up. We’re really focused right now on if we can get this thing on after Friday to 5-3, and have a bye week and then go into the rest of the season, we think we’re in a decent position.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca
twitter: @jeffkhamilton