Getting drafted by Bombers an ‘amazing feeling’ for Kornelson

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This article was published 05/05/2023 (855 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Collin Kornelson’s chances of playing for his hometown team didn’t look promising.

In the fourth round of Tuesday night’s CFL Draft, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers used the 35th overall pick on defensive lineman Tanner Schmekel out of the University of Regina.

In the mind of Kornelson, a third-year D-lineman with the University of Manitoba Bisons, that meant the Bombers would look at other positions with their final four picks.

It turns out he was wrong.

The Blue and Gold drafted Kornelson in the next round at pick No. 44.

“When Round 4 had ended and Round 5 was up and the Bombers were on the clock, I went outside to get some fresh air because I didn’t think the Bombers were gonna draft me because they drafted Schmekel. Next thing you know, I got my family running outside to come find me to tell me I was just drafted by the Bombers,” Kornelson told the Free Press on Friday.

“It was an amazing feeling, honestly. I went to high school in Winnipeg, I went to the U of M, and now to be able to go play for the Bombers is an amazing feeling, for sure.”

The Bombers signed five of their draft choices — defensive lineman Anthony Bennett (eighth overall), defensive back Jake Kelly (15th overall), receiver Jeremy Murphy (26th overall), defensive back Bret MacDougall (53rd overall) and linebacker Max Charbonneau (71st overall) — on Friday. Rookie camp starts on May 10.

Kornelson first strapped on a helmet when he was seven years old for the North Winnipeg Nomads. Two years later, he was turning heads with the Valour Patriots, before going on to shine with the St. Paul’s Crusaders.

In six games with the Herd in 2021, the 6-3, 240 pounder recorded 18.5 tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss. He took a step forward in 2022, playing all eight games and registering 27 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss.

Kornelson, 23, is one of two Bisons — linebacker Nick Thomas was picked by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Round 7 — to get a call Tuesday from a CFL team. It’s the fifth year in a row the U of M has had a player selected. The program has had 54 players drafted since 2000.

Bisons head coach Brian Dobie said Kornelson initially wasn’t a major recruit when he first stepped on campus in 2018, but his work ethic led to him becoming a key piece of his defence and a CFL talent.

“At this point in time, Collin is the best that he can be. He hasn’t left stones unturned. He won’t go into this opportunity with regrets that he didn’t do enough work, or that he didn’t get coached hard enough, or that he didn’t listen to his coaches,” said Dobie.

“He’s like a sponge, he absorbs coaching, and he’s a workaholic in the weight room.”

Even though the Bombers picked someone at the same position from a rival school one round earlier, Kornelson said there’s no hard feelings and won’t be showing up to camp with a chip on his shoulder.

“I’m excited to play with Tanner. I met him at the national (combine) and he’s such a really cool guy. I think it’d be fun to play together at some point potentially,” he said.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31