Rookie receiver turns heads

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This article was published 13/07/2022 (1152 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dalton Schoen doesn’t like to waste time.

It seems whenever the Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver gets an opportunity, he immediately takes advantage of it.

That trend began when Schoen, now 25 and in his first CFL season, was a walk-on at Kansas State.

After two years of playing with the scout team, Schoen finally got a chance on Sept. 2, 2017, against Central Arkansas.

Schoen’s first career NCAA catch ended up being a 70-yard touchdown.

“It’s something you dream about,” said Schoen, who grew up wanting to play at Kansas State as both of his parents went there, after Wednesday’s Bombers practice. His older brother Mason also played four years for K-State’s men’s basketball team.

“You look up and see the ball in the sky and there’s 50,000 people just watching you. I caught it, went for a touchdown, and honestly I didn’t even know what to do with myself as it was more than a dream come true.”

When Schoen was younger, he and Mason would play football in the parking lot at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on game days before heading inside to watch the Wildcats. But to become a Wildcat himself, Schoen had to work for it. He broke the state’s record for receiving yards in a high school game (380 on 12 catches), was named the 2015 Kansas City Star Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and was one of six national finalists for the Wendy’s High School Heisman award. Despite all that, Kansas State didn’t have an offer for him. They felt they were all set at receiver.

“I kept pestering them and pestering them and finally it came through super late. It was like the end of April in my senior year of high school which is really, really late to be deciding where you’re going to college but finally, they came through and said ‘Hey, we have a walk-on spot for you if you want it and I took it in a heartbeat,” said Schoen, who also excelled in basketball and baseball in high school.

K-State coaching legend Bill Snyder, who led the football program for more than 25 years, is certainly glad Schoen did. Schoen went on to become one of the team’s top targets in his final three seasons.

“He was one of those young guys that just worked diligently every single day to become a little bit better. Not just in football, but all facets of his life and he did exactly that. He became better on a very regular basis,” Snyder, 82, told the Free Press in a phone interview.

It’s been a similar story for Schoen in Winnipeg as the CFL newcomer has already turned a lot of heads in his first five games. Schoen’s been starting since Week 1, but his most impressive start came on Saturday at B.C. Place in a 43-22 victory over the Lions. Schoen caught eight passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns, leading to him being named one of the CFL’s Top Performers for Week 5.

That’s no easy feat for a first-year player.

“It’s not a surprise to me. Dalton is a an extremely bright young guy and picks things up very quickly,” said Snyder on Schoen’s immediate success in Canada.

“He obviously has a great deal of talent, but he’s one of those individuals that gets the very most out of his capabilities. I coached for a very long time and he’s a rare individual in that he plays to 100 per cent of his capabilities. And he practices the same way.”

Schoen wasn’t the only receiver in Blue and Gold to have a big game against the Leos as veteran Greg Ellingson had seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. The 33-year-old Ellingson, a nine-year CFL vet from Tampa, Fla., has been impressed with Schoen since camp.

“I think more so than any other rookie I’ve ever been with, he reminds me a lot of my younger self a little bit,” said Ellingson. “He comes to practice and works hard every day. He makes sure he’s on top of his plays so he knows what he’s doing and doesn’t mess up. That’s something I take pride in and took pride in when I was younger. You just put your nose down and grind and hope for the best and just stay consistent so that your teammates, quarterback, and ultimately your coaches can trust you. It puts you in positions to make those plays and as long as you keep doing it, you’re going to be around for a while.”

Schoen, who spent some time on the practice squad for both the Washington Commanders and Kansas City Chiefs in 2021, credits his unorthodox journey to the pros and teammates like Ellingson for helping him find his way in the three-down game. That, and his “street dog” mentality.

“Something my dad told me when I was young was ‘Be a street dog.’ You’re not going to be given anything, you have to go take it. And I take that mentality every day. I write it on my (wrist) tape for every game because I want to remember that no one is gonna give me anything,” said Schoen.

“It’s hard to come to this league, get a starting spot and go out there and make plays, but I think I keep that street dog mentality and I just try to go take it every single day.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31