Lawler ready to set the CFL, and the record book, on fire

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This article was published 28/05/2024 (530 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kenny Lawler sets lofty goals at the start of each new football season. The finer details of what he has in store, though, he prefers to keep to himself.

Reading between the lines on what the Winnipeg Blue Bombers all-star receiver hopes to achieve in a full 2024 campaign — especially after missing the first six regular-season games last year — you quickly get the feeling he’s not just ready to roll, but roll over the competition in a big way.

“I’ve been playing out scenarios in my head for a long time, and I’m just really anxious to go out and actually live them and manifest those visions. I want to be the best in the league. I want to break records,” Lawler said, after wrapping up another training camp session at Princess Auto Stadium.

“I play this game to want to be the best, greatest wide receiver that ever played. So, when you look at it like that, and when you hear me say I want to break records, I’ll let you guys put an actual goal out there.”

Lawler is entering his fifth season in the CFL and fourth with the Bombers. He started his career in Winnipeg, where he led the team in receiving yards as a rookie in 2019 and then topped the entire league the next year, registering 1,014 yards, along with six touchdowns, during the COVID-19 shortened 2021 season.

That success led to a massive payday from the Edmonton Elks, who made Lawler the highest paid receiver in the league, with a salary eclipsing $300,000. But after a disappointing season in the standings, with the Elks finishing at the bottom of the West Division, Lawler returned to the Bombers, signing a two-year deal that keeps him in blue and gold through 2024.

Lawler’s return to Winnipeg brought a lot of hype, but that excitement was dampened after he pleaded guilty to a drunk driving charge, stemming from an incident in 2021, that made him ineligible for the first six games. He would return in Week 7, picking up where he’d left off, ending the season with 901 receiving yards on 50 catches – for an average of 19 yards per reception – and six touchdowns.

With no distractions to start this year, he’s ready to show Bomber fans what a full season can mean for the league’s top offence. Never short on confidence, the 29-year-old doubled down on his not-so-subtle predictions for this year.

“All receivers want the football. That’s not uncommon. But he’s one of the most competitive guys I’ve ever been around.”– Zach Collaros

“One for the record books, man. I really do believe that. I thought that it was going to be that last year, but, obviously, had those six games,” Lawler said.

“Where my mind is at right now, what I’ve done in this off-season, is preparing me for what’s about to happen. I don’t feel like anyone has outworked me. It’s just about going out and proving it.”

For the record, the most receiving yards in a single CFL season belongs to former Calgary Stampeders great, Allen Pitts, who recorded 2,036 yards in 1994. Former Bombers legend, Milt Stegall, has the most touchdowns in a single year, with 23, which he recorded during the 2002 season.

If Lawler is to have a record-breaking year, a lot of that is going to depend on quarterback Zach Collaros. Collaros is certainly the man for the job, considered by many to be the best quarterback currently slinging balls in the three-down loop and among the best ever to don a Bombers jersey.

“All receivers want the football. That’s not uncommon. But he’s one of the most competitive guys I’ve ever been around,” Collaros said. “You can see it come through in a practice and you can see it come through in a game. Not just the way he attacks the football, but the way that he blocks and the way he moves around the field. There’s not a lot of guys like him in this league.”

Collaros is in a peculiar situation as the club’s quarterback. While offensive co-ordinator Buck Pierce calls the plays, Collaros is responsible for delivering the ball, which may not always end up going to the primary read.

Then you have to factor in that Lawler isn’t the only player looking to rewrite history.

There are catches that a lot of other people can’t make that he makes routinely.”– Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea

Running back Brady Oliveira is expecting a big season after leading the league in rushing last year and recorded more than 2,000 all-purpose yards. Dalton Schoen would have likely led the CFL in receiving for a second straight year had he not suffered an injury late in the season, so you know he’ll be looking to impress. Nic Demski is coming off his first campaign with 1,000 receiving yards and he won’t want to wait much longer for his second.

“Everybody has personal goals every single season. That’s why a lot of guys have made it this far, because you’re able to set goals and do the work to achieve them. They also wouldn’t be here in this organization if they weren’t team-first people. All of them have showed that countless times over the years,” Collaros said.

“They’re competitive and everybody thinks they’re the best player. And if you’re the best player, you want to do anything you can to help the team. Everybody wants the ball on every single play and that’s why I chose to play quarterback because I get to play the ball every play.”

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea isn’t one to spend too much time celebrating a player’s accolades. The idea of wanting to leave a legacy behind, despite the fact he’s done just that as one of the best linebackers to play in the CFL, is foreign to him.

He does enjoy watching Lawler play the game, and as a coach, where your career is won or lost on wins and losses, there’s certainly an added joy that comes with seeing Lawler make extraordinary catches. It’s not the flash O’Shea appreciates the most, though, it’s that Lawler doesn’t cheat the game when he’s making those special plays.

“Quarterbacks have a lot of faith in guys when they know they’re going to be where they’re supposed to be, they’re going to be on time and they’re skilled where the throw doesn’t have to be perfect. He’s going to make quarterbacks right a lot more than a lot of other guys,” O’Shea said.

“It’s fun to watch and then he comes up with some spectacular catches on a regular basis. It’s not because he’s doing something wrong, so the easy catches look spectacular. There are catches that a lot of other people can’t make that he makes routinely.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton