Neufeld latest Bomber to welcome new-born

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This article was published 17/10/2023 (728 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Patrick Neufeld doesn’t regret missing the game of the year, in what turned out to be a thrilling 34-26 overtime win for his Winnipeg Blue Bombers over the B.C. Lions back on Oct. 6.

That’s because earlier that morning he and his partner Paula were busy welcoming a baby girl. Halle Katherine Neufeld was born at 8:39 a.m., weighing seven pounds and 12 ounces.

“It was unbelievable. Indescribable,” Neufeld, the Bombers veteran offensive lineman, said following practice Tuesday at IG Field. “It was the best moment of my life.”

Neufeld was a late-game scratch for the Week 18 affair against the Lions. Because the birth happened in the morning, though, he said he was still able to watch parts of the game while simultaneously performing daddy duty.

Watching an incredible comeback while taking care of a newborn proved to be no easy task.

“That was crazy,” Neufeld said. “My daughter was 12 hours old and I was doing everything I could not to scream in the hospital room to wake her up. The nurses in there were about to give her a first bath and I was pacing around the hospital room watching the game on an iPad. I checked my heart rate on my Apple watch and it was at like 115-120 going into overtime. Having my daughter in there as my little good luck charm for that one was pretty cool.”

He added: “Obviously, I wish I could have been out there but wouldn’t miss my daughter’s birth for anything. It timed out pretty nicely. To get the win, become a father and then have a bye week to kind of settle the routine was nice.”

Neufeld is proud to be the newest member of the Bombers Dad Club. Receiver Nic Demski, defensive tackle Jake Thomas and defensive back Demerio Houston have all welcomed children this season, with several other players also having young families.

Quarterback Zach Collaros, who has two young daughters with his wife Nicole, offered up some advice for the new father.

“I’m so happy for him,” Collaros said. “Just get a lot of that skin-to-skin, man. Take your shirt off, hold her.”

SCHOEN INJURED

The Bombers were without wide receiver Dalton Schoen at Tuesday’s practice. The team’s leading receiver is currently nursing an ankle injury

Head coach Mike O’Shea wouldn’t provide any information on Schoen’s recovery timeline.

Safety Brandon Alexander (knee) and defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat (hip) were on the field but did not participate in any drills. Defensive back Demerio Houston, who left Winnipeg’s 31-21 home win over the Toronto Argonauts on Sept. 29, was back as a full participant.

HALLETT BROUGHT BACK

The Bombers signed Canadian defensive back Noah Hallett to the practice roster on Tuesday.

Hallett was released in May after failing his physical, but remained with the club to rehab as he wasn’t recovered from a torn ACL that he suffered in the 2022 Banjo Bowl.

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The Bombers selected Hallett 18th overall in the 2020 CFL Draft.

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Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.