Jefferson has sights set on Bombers, CFL records

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This article was published 13/01/2025 (330 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Inside the man cave of Willie Jefferson’s Winnipeg home, standing out from a host of memorabilia he’s collected throughout his playing career, is a copy of Little People Big Dreams: Bruce Lee, which is a biography of the renowned martial artist and actor for children.

Jefferson reads the book, which is filled with cartoon illustrations, to his daughters Kelley and Rielley Rose on occasion and will even comb over a few passages by himself when he needs some encouragement.

“Everything surrounding Bruce Lee. The whole mindset,” Jefferson said, is why he’s a big fan of Lee’s.

“The movies are phenomenal to me, especially the one when he fought Chuck Norris (Way of the Dragon) and then the one where he fought… Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Game of Death). That’s cool to me. I get to watch those movies before games to get my mind right, and then just the whole mantra behind it— be like water, not let yourself be exposed to other things and then not try to master a bunch of things but just be good at one thing. That’s me.”

Lee is one of Jefferson’s many sources when he needs motivation during a long season. Another comes from within, and that’s the goal of being recognized as one of the most prolific defensive ends in CFL history.

On Sunday, the 33-year-old pass rusher signed a one-year extension with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to return for a sixth season with the club and 11th overall in 2025.

An elusive fourth Grey Cup will continue to be Jefferson’s driving force as long as he’s playing, but his standing among the league and franchise’s all-time sack leaders has also become increasingly important to him.

His 43 sacks as a Blue Bomber are tied for the sixth-most in franchise history with Michael Gray, and his 74 total career sacks currently rank 29th in CFL history.

“I’m trying to go all the way to the top,” Jefferson exclaimed via Zoom on Monday. “I’m trying to do it. That’s my thing, right? Chose not to leave. Chose to stay a Bomber. I’m trying to catch up to those great guys.

“This year, I’m trying to knock off top five, maybe, try to do some great things and keep moving up the charts,” he continued. “I’m chasing 100.”

Jefferson can reach the top-five in Bomber history with four sacks next season, which would tie Elfrid Payton and Gavin Walls at 47. A nine-sack campaign, which he’s done three times in his career, would match Doug Brown (52) for third-most in franchise history.

If Jefferson has any say in the matter — and he does, as long as his body holds up — he has plenty of time to cement his name among the best pass rushers to grace the three-down loop. He said retirement hasn’t crossed his mind and that those days still feel like they are “a ways away.”

“I’m a force to be reckoned with, and until I can be stopped, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing,” he said.

Indeed, records aside, the 6-7, 248-pounder continues to be a model of consistency on the Bombers’ defensive line. He’s also shown that he can still be a game-wrecker.

Jefferson put forth one of the most dominant solo performances in Grey Cup history last November, recording two sacks, six tackles, a forced fumble, a tackle for loss and an interception. He became the first player to record a sack, forced fumble and an interception in the championship game.

“Ultimately (important),” head coach Mike O’Shea said of retaining the anchor of his defensive line. “He’s a top priority. Every year that he’s chosen to sign back with us, he’s been a top priority. He’s so dynamic. You saw him in the Grey Cup, he’s an absolute game-changer.

“We could spend a long time talking about him. I just love his leadership. I love what he brings to the locker room every day and I like what he does on the field. It’s always spectacular. He’s so good for us.”

Jefferson is one of several difference makers who are at or near the top of Winnipeg’s priority list. Among the club’s 23 remaining pending free agents are receivers Kenny Lawler and Dalton Schoen, defensive back Evan Holm and cornerback Tyrell Ford, who will hit the open market if they aren’t signed by Feb. 11.

On Monday afternoon, the Bombers signed American receiver Dillon Mitchell to a one-year deal. The 27-year-old spent the last three seasons with the Edmonton Elks, setting career highs with 58 receptions for 727 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. He also handled kick returns and some punt returns for the Elks.

“There’s always some turnover,” O’Shea said. “We’ve done really well for a long time at keeping a core group, and I think this year will be the exact same, not in terms of everybody that chooses to sign back but in terms of keeping a good, solid core of guys that really understand what they want to get done in the locker room and how they want to play the game, understand what the coaching staff thinks and believe in. That’s not going to change.

“We have such a large group of guys that can lead and support each other in their leadership, that there’s always a couple guys that change but the group and the group mentality stays really well intact.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam