Bomber feeling right at home after trade

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This article was published 19/10/2017 (2936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It seems defensive back T.J. Heath has been embraced by football fans in Winnipeg.

“I’ve ate at so many different people’s houses just in this month alone — just random fans, (saying) ‘Hey, wanna come eat with us?’ ‘Yeah, I’ll come.’ They have kids. I met so many people here and they take good care of us,” said Heath following practice at Investors Group Field Thursday afternoon. “That’s probably the best part of being in Winnipeg.”

Heath, acquired by the Blue Bombers in a blockbuster deal from the Toronto Argonauts last September, was initially caught off guard.

“Listen, I was just as surprised as you were,” Heath told reporters. “Fans, they have ways of contacting you, you know. They show their faces in the stands and sometimes they stay after the games waiting for you until you come out… that’s the least I can do. These people are nice to us.”

The 30-year-old from Alexandria, Ala., is returning to Toronto Saturday for the first time since the deal. The trade, which involved quarterback Drew Willy going east and Heath and a first-round CFL draft pick coming to Winnipeg, has been a slam dunk for the Bombers. Heath was an all-star in his first CFL season.

“It’s worked out very, very well,” Heath said. “It just sucked to have to leave when things were going good, but I got here and that went good, too. It was a win when I was there and a heckuva win here, too. I think I got best of both worlds. Just with the group of people that I was around.”

 

DRESSLER RETURNS: with injuries mounting in recent weeks, the Bombers are fortunate to get slotback Weston Dressler back into their lineup. The 32-year-old has missed seven games with various ailments.

“It’s been a tough year for me,” said Dressler, who has 482 yards on 34 catches thus far. “I think I’ve missed more games this year than any other time in my career. That’s been a tough part as far as the locker room goes and the guys, I’ve had a lot of fun with the guys in this locker room.

“I feel like being a 10-year veteran of the league, I’ve been able to help the guys out a little bit here and there and give them a little insight into what the CFL game is. Especially the younger guys.”

Dressler was asked if he ever wonders about how close he is to retirement.

“I wonder every year,” Dressler said. “After Year 1 when they bring in 17, 18 receivers every camp, I’ve gotta figure out how to make this team. That’s every year. Right now I’m focused on what I need to do to help this team win games and find a way to make a run in the playoffs. We’ll worry about that stuff later.”

An important part of Dressler’s presence in Winnipeg is his positive influence on teammates. This week, for instance, he’s been counselling wide receiver Chris Givens, a newcomer with plenty of NFL experience, on how to transition to the CFL. Givens is expected to start in place of Darvin Adams, who suffered a serious upper-body injury last week.

“I’m trying to give him as much info as I can without overloading him and just letting him find that comfort zone, so he can concentrate on making plays for us and not thinking too much,” Dressler said.

 

BACK TO BUSINESS: the Bombers have had plenty of distractions to deal with on the injury front this past month. Linebacker Maurice Leggett (Achilles) was ruled out for the season and receiver Darvin Adams (upper body) is doubtful to return to action following injuries in Winnipeg’s 26-20 victory over the B.C. Lions last week. The news came just weeks after defensive end Jamaal Westerman was ruled out for the season with a suspected torn muscle in his left arm.

To what degree the Bombers will be affected on the field by the recent losses won’t be known until Saturday. But Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said the team has handled it well in the locker room and are back to a business-as-usual approach to this weekend.

“Even the young guys have been in football long enough to understand that injuries happen and that you have to keep moving forward,” O’Shea said. “Part of that is for the guy who is not playing.”

 

CARTER PLAYING DOUBLE DUTY: the Saskatchewan Roughriders announced Wednesday that receiver Duron Carter would start on defence, lining up at cornerback when they play the Calgary Stampeders on the road Friday night.

The news travelled quickly over social media, creating a mix of reactions, including one on Twitter from Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell.

“Don’t do it Duron,” Mitchell tweeted, adding, “You’ll get 25 balls thrown at you.”

A number of Bombers reacted to Carter playing double duty, with most scratching their heads at the unorthodox move.

“What about that corner that was on practice squad? I don’t know how it works, but I feel like there’s a corner out there, man,” reasoned Bombers defensive back Chris Randle. “I haven’t seen it before so we’ll see how great he does.”

O’Shea, meanwhile, was quick to recall former teammate Byron Parker, a multi-year CFL all-star as a defensive back, play on both sides of the ball when the two played together in Toronto.

“He scored a touchdown for us playing receiver and returned kicks and punts and played defence to an all-star level,” O’Shea said.

“He wasn’t a regular on offence but, I mean, guys do it.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton