Newest Bomber way ahead of his time

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/04/2023 (896 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mekhi Tyrell is ahead of his time. Way ahead.

On Wednesday afternoon, a little more than two weeks after his 19th birthday, he met with Winnipeg Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters to sign a tryout agreement.

Tyrell, who has not yet hired an agent, is scheduled to attend the start of the CFL club’s rookie camp on May 8.

“It’s the biggest day of my life for sure,” said Tyrell, a local product who grew up in Transcona and played his Grade 10 season at Murdoch MacKay Collegiate before heading to a prep school in Ontario. “I’m still in awe of how crazy this is.”

The ‘crazy’ part of this equation is centred on Tyrell’s age.

If he were to be added to Winnipeg’s active roster during the 2023 season, he would be the youngest player to play in a regular-season game since 17-year-old punter Hank Illesic debuted with Edmonton in 1977.

By way of comparison, the youngest players in CFL last season were receivers Jalen (Calgary Stampeders) and Tyson Philpot (Montreal Alouettes), who turned 22 on July 26.

Only four CFLers, including the Philpot twins, were born in 2000. Tyrell would be the league’s first 2004-born player.

Tyrell, a wide receiver at Clarkson Football North in Mississauga, Ont., for the past two seasons, could be one of the best if not the finest prospect ever produced by his hometown.

During his time at Football North, his superb hands, quickness and excellent route running drew interest from major NCAA football programs such as Alabama, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Penn State.

But due to academic issues, Tyrell did not follow up on potential NCAA scholarship offers and opted to become a territorial junior exception for the Blue Bombers.

And since he has not enrolled at a U Sports or NCAA school, he is not subject to the normal four-year wait to enter the CFL via the draft.

Walters was unavailable for comment Wednesday but the Bombers boss had already made a favourable impression on Tyrell, who wants to be much more than a training camp curiosity.

“He’s a really nice guy to talk to but he keeps it real with me, which I really, really enjoy,” said Tyrell.

“He’s just being straight up and talking to be me as a man — it’s weird now because I’m fully getting into adulthood and experienced in it. I’m glad he was taking me serious, even though I’m just coming in as a 19-year-old and all these guys have been here for however long.”

Tyrell, who is the middle child of three in his family, is living with his older brother Avante while he begins his career in the CFL.

“I’m just trying to make sure he is prepared for basically anything,” said Avante Tyrell, 26. “He’s 19 years old. He’s a kid. So I’m trying to get him to adult a bit quicker now and trying to get him to realize that there’s a lot at stake. You’ve got to be ready, you got to be prepared.”

Mekhi Tyrell has already been working out with members of the club, including veteran slotback Nic Demski. Demski has coached him for several months as part of the Recruit Ready program.

“I’m still young and there’s so much to (think about), it keeps you up at night,” said Tyrell. “There’s a lot of things that I want to work on personally about myself and my physical attributes.”

While he believes his fitness level is good, he has been recuperating from a pulled hamstring but expects to be ready for the start of rookie camp.

“I know that he can adapt really quickly and he’s smart. He’s a smart kid but he just doesn’t choose to use all of his brain (sometimes),” said Avante Tyrell. “With the training and the people that he’s going to be around, he’s gonna accomplish a lot in a short amount of time.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca