Rose rejuvenated after spending quality time with family

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This article was published 15/05/2023 (850 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last November’s Grey Cup in Regina was a double whammy for defensive back Winston Rose.

Not only did the heavily favoured Blue Bombers drop a 24-23 result to the Toronto Argonauts, but Rose also broke a bone in his left foot in the third quarter.

He was in intense pain, but gritted his teeth and finished the game.

“Ending the season like that can distraught you a little bit and put you in a place where you’re not yourself,” Rose told the Free Press after Monday’s training session at IG Field.

It ended on the ultimate low, but the majority of the 2022 season didn’t go according to plan to Rose. He didn’t look anything like the player was was a CFL all-star in 2019 after leading the league with nine interceptions. Or the one who spent all of 2020 with the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals.

Since rejoining the Bombers midway through the 2021 campaign, Rose has three interceptions in 20 games.

“Yeah, I wasn’t happy with some of my play, but at the same time it taught me a lot. I can look myself in the mirror and be like, ‘Not every game is gonna be perfect.’ That’s how life is too, though. Not everything is going to be perfect,” said Rose.

“You just gotta roll with the punches, weather the storm, but also know that the work you put in, you’re going to reap what you sow.”

Rose went into the off-season needing a reset. In addition to doing a ton of rehab, he put a stronger emphasis on spending time with his family. The California native even made the trip out to Jamaica to visit his father.

“Spending time with family, that was the most important thing. Like the biggest thing… And just being surrounded with love,” said Rose.

Now healthy and rejuvenated, Rose hopes to return to form in 2023. The secondary looks nearly identical from last year as key veterans Brandon Alexander, dimeback Alden Darby Jr., and halfback Deatrick Nichols are all back. Demerio Houston, Jamal Parker, Desmond Lawrence, and Evan Holm have returned from last season as well.

“Last year we weren’t good enough. Not just Winston. We just weren’t good enough. The end,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “It’s pro sport and every year guys are trying to get better. And I know Winston wants to be better than he was. He wasn’t happy with the way he played. There are parts of our game that we obviously really liked, and there are some things that he wants to do better. I’m sure he worked on them and I’m sure he did what he needed to do in the off-season to come back and feel, as he said, refreshed or reset.”

Rose was asked what people can expect to see from him this season.

“You’re gonna have to wait and see,” he said.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31