Lawler takes triumphant return in stride

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This article was published 21/07/2023 (843 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It didn’t take long for Kenny Lawler to remind everyone why he’s often touted as the best receiver in the CFL.

It was midway through the opening quarter when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers pass catcher made an impressive adjustment to a Zach Collaros toss near the sideline to make a fingertip grab for a 28-yard gain.

“That was pretty unbelievable,” Collaros said. “I’ve seen him do it a bunch of times, though, so, I wasn’t shocked by it.”

The guy who caught it wasn’t shocked either.

“For me, it was just a routine catch,” said Lawler, who claims he maintained possession when he hit the turf. “I pride myself on if the ball touches my hands, I’m going to go up and get it.”

Lawler — who was on the suspended list for the first six weeks of the season due to immigration issues stemming from a drunk-driving conviction — showed no signs of rust from his long layoff as he helped the Bombers to a 28-14 victory over the visiting Edmonton Elks with seven catches on nine targets for 93 yards.

It was initially predicted he would miss three to four weeks, not nearly 50 days.

“That’s exactly what we said he’d look like… That’s a credit to him that he stayed in shape and stayed with it,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “It’s not easy. The emotional roller coaster, the strain on his head wondering when this was going to happen, and just trying to stay with it. It’s not easy, that’s for sure. Maybe, I would imagine, you’d find some sanity in training hard and making sure you’re ready when that chance comes.”

Only Nic Demski had more yards than the 29-year-old from California as the Winnipegger hauled in four passes for 115 yards with one of them being a 70-yard touchdown reception.

“It felt good to be able to come out here and just give the fans what they’ve been waiting for,” said Lawler. “I know I’ve been waiting for a long time, but the fans have been waiting as well, my teammates have been waiting as well, and it was just an amazing feeling to be out there.”

Lawler, who won Grey Cups in 2019 and 2021 with Winnipeg, spent last season with the Elks and caught 58 passes for 894 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games. The 6-3, 197-pounder led the league with 1,014 receiving yards in the shortened 2021 season during his first stint with the Bombers.

“I love that dude, man. It’s bigger than football between me and him. We helped changed each other’s lives and he’s one of the main reasons why I came back here to Winnipeg,” said receiver Rasheed Bailey, who caught a six-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it a two-score game.

“To see him out there, to see his son running around (the locker room), man that’s what it’s all about. To see him back out there with the gang, that’s special, that’s a blessing. There were times when we lost hope, shoot, there were times when we even cried.”

Even with Lawler back in the fold, the blue and gold offence wasn’t overly sharp. They had three turnovers in the first half — a turnover on downs, an interception and a fumble — and were held to six points.

“Obviously, there’s frustration if you’re not staying on the football field, you’re going two-and-out, you’re turning the ball over. It’s frustrating, but the guys did a good job of sticking together,” said Collaros.

They didn’t wake up until Demski’s big play at the beginning of the third quarter. His touchdown was the third longest catch of his career. “We had it on the call sheet. We got our looks in the first half and in the second half we knew that was going to be a play that we called early,” said Demski. “They came out in the right coverage and it was there. I did my job and ran the route. Zach threw it up and the rest is history.”

With Lawler’s return, Bailey’s confident the unit will play at an elite level sooner rather than later.

“It helps all of us. It opens me up, it opens Demski up. When we get rolling man, nobody’s going to be able to stop us,” said Bailey. “Sometimes we kill ourselves, but when we put this thing all together, we’re gonna be the team again. So, I’m excited about that.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31