Dressler not ready to hang up his cleats

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This article was published 05/06/2018 (2655 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A lot of it is blurry for Weston Dressler when asked to recall his first year in the Canadian Football League, even if some of the faces around him today prompt memories from that time long ago.

When Dressler, now in his 11th CFL season and third with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, first arrived in the league as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2008, he did so alongside fellow veteran receiver Adarius Bowman. Also with the Riders at the time was current Bombers offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice, who, unlike Dressler and Bowman, had already started to establish himself in the Canadian game.

For Dressler, back then it was simply about trying to make a positive impression.

“I honestly really don’t remember a whole lot about what defences were doing or the X’s and O’s of the game because I was trying to learn so much,” Dressler recalled following Tuesday’s practice at Investors Group Field. “I did more of just running around with my head cut off, hoping to make a play at some point than actually knowing what I should be doing.”

More than a decade later and 148 games into his CFL career, Dressler is regarded by his peers as one of the most knowledgeable players in the league. No longer does his had spin; instead, he’s now leading others in the meeting room or after practice, where he can often be seen lending a helping hand to veterans and newcomers alike.

He’ll give anything, his teammates say, to help players who might seem lost, just like he used to be.

“It’s just crazy for a guy to be around that long and still get better and have the willingness to learn and the willingness to teach and still joke around all the time,” said Bombers receiver Darvin Adams. “That’s just my guy.”

Dressler, 32, said he didn’t get the same kind of help when he first started in the CFL, though he admitted he wasn’t really looking for it either. A shy person by nature, the native of Bismarck, N.D., still keeps a relatively low profile.

Not one to give emotionally charged pre-game speeches, nor does he seem all that comfortable asking for someone else’s time — “I was never a guy that was going to ask a whole bunch of questions and make someone go out of their way to answer them,” he said — Dressler isn’t bothered when a teammate approaches him in search of advice. There’s also an open invite for anyone who might be interested in watching film with him, which Dressler does before almost every practice.

“Maybe I should have been asking more questions but back then I was more of a watcher and I would take in everything I saw,” said Dressler. “I definitely talk a lot more now. As I’ve gotten older and have more confidence in knowing what this game is all about, it’s a way for me to help out.”

Dressler would eventually make that strong impression he hoped for in his first season, winning the CFL’s most outstanding rookie award following a year with the Riders where he recorded 56 receptions for 1,128 yards. A three-time CFL all-star and four-time divisional all-star, Dressler has recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in six of his 11 seasons. He needs just 509 yards to reach the 10,000-mark.

Dressler’s last 1,000-yard season came in 2016, his first of a two-year deal he signed with the Bombers following eight years in Saskatchewan. When his contract was up at the end of last year, Dressler debated his future. Still feeling like he had what it took to compete at a high level — and truly believing the Bombers have the group to win the Grey Cup — he inked another deal, this time for one season.

“I attribute it to one thing and one thing only and that’s how hard they’re willing to work. You don’t play that long without putting in long hours,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea. “Weston Dressler has done that and he’s done that again because he’s in good shape.”

Taking care of your body is a top priority for any professional athlete, no matter what year someone might find himself in. But it’s especially important for Dressler, who, at 5-7 and 168 pounds, doesn’t exactly intimidate most defenders with his size.

He’s also had to battle through a series of injuries the last two years, missing a total of 11 games over that span. Last season, Dressler was limited to 11 games, collecting 51 catches for 691 yards. He’s back to full heath now and will line up as one of the team’s starting slotbacks in 2018.

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To ensure his body can withstand the rigours of a full season, Dressler said he’s changed his approach to fitness. He doesn’t maximize his weight, over limited sets, like he used to when he was in college and instead embraces new forms of exercise, such as yoga.

“Injuries are going to happen in this game, obviously, but you do everything you can to prepare for the season and maintaining that throughout the season,” said Dressler. “There’s definitely an evolution as you get older and even just the fitness world in general, it’s always evolving and changing, so it’s about staying on top of that. It’s part of it and if you’re not doing it you’re not going to last very long.”

Speaking of longevity, Dressler prefers not to look too far ahead. That might be because he knows his time might be near, even if he is still putting up good numbers. But it’s also because he’s enjoying what he’s doing right now and feels in no rush to move things along.

“You got to enjoy being out here — enjoy the guys in the locker room, playing the stupid games we make up and those weird conversations we have. Just enjoy it,” he said. “The last three years now I’ve been on a year-by-year basis. You take it day-by-day and take care of yourself as best you can and as long as you’re having fun and enjoying it, keep going.”

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

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

Every piece of reporting Jeff 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.