Vaval impresses at Bombers camp

Of the several tattoos that mark Trey Vaval’s neck, the checkered flag that covers his Adam’s apple might be the easiest to notice.

The black and white artwork holds two meanings for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers rookie, who plays defensive back but is making a push for a roster spot as a return specialist this spring.

One is a salute to his family, which races in motocross back home in Blue Springs, Mo. The other is an ode to Nipsey Hussle, the late West Coast rap artist who coined the catchphrase “The Marathon Continues,” which symbolized his relentless pursuit of success, even in the face of adversity.

“This is my marathon,” Vaval said Wednesday. “You only get one chance at this life.”

The placement of the flag made it perhaps the most painful of the bunch, which is ironic because the 24-year-old has already felt plenty of pain in his young career.

Before signing with the Bombers this off-season, Vaval attended training camp with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons last fall. That didn’t go as planned for the undrafted free agent, who was cut before appearing in a pre-season game.

Vaval called it a valuable learning experience on the dos and don’ts in pro football, but being released still rocked his world for months before Winnipeg came calling.

“Football has always been the option A. I never had an option B. If I got cut tomorrow, I don’t know what I would do with my life. That’s just being real. I’ve always put football first,” he said.

“I got cut, I didn’t know what I was going to do with myself, I was waiting for a call and just working out every day, super depressed, I didn’t know what was going to go on, so getting closer to God, God has brought me out of the bottom, for real.”

On that note, Bombers camp has been a more enjoyable experience for the 6-0, 163-pounder. While working out at defensive back, he’s often been the first player to see reps as returner, which points to the intrigue he presents among the coaching staff.

Vaval has also seen a lot of personal development this month.

“It’s been amazing. Yeah, you’re going to have bad plays, but I feel like I’ve grown a lot just as a person and as a man, and spiritually. Camp time is just around the guys and coaches, and it’s away from the world. I had time to get closer to God, I had time to focus on my craft. So… play-wise I feel like I’ve done pretty good, I’ve just been sitting out here giving my best effort every play,” he said.

“Every day just wake up, and it’s like every day is a blessing.”

Vaval took all of the returner reps in the Bombers’ pre-season opener against Saskatchewan last weekend, registering 37 yards on two kickoffs and 24 yards on three punts.

Though he didn’t make any critical mistakes like fumbling, there were still learning moments for the rookie.

His American habits crept in on the first punt he fielded. After a short boot, he pointed at the bouncing ball and yelled at his teammates to “Get away” from it, which is a standard practice in the NFL for punts that can’t be fielded cleanly.

That’s a no-no in the CFL, where teams want players to catch the ball in the air. After being reminded by special teams co-ordinator Mike Miller, Vaval didn’t let another ball touch the ground.

“He took instructions very quickly,” head coach Mike O’Shea said earlier this week.

“He was screaming up there, attacking the football, staying in bounds. Like, he got pinned to the sidelines on one, had to put the brakes on and spun back into the fray of getting hit by three or four guys, but he was scrapping for those extra yards. That makes a difference for the return teams, the guy’s blocking, when they see a guy that’s going to fight for extra yards, a guy that’s not just going to scooch out of bounds… I think it paints a picture for the blockers that they better be doing more.”

Vaval, who was an all-conference return specialist and an All-American at Missouri Western State in 2019, doesn’t have to be told twice when it comes to catching kicks.

“Being a return specialist, I had a coach tell me, ‘That ball in your hand, you’re literally carrying the whole organization — the president, everything, is in your hands.’ So if they say, ‘Go get that ball,’ you better go get that damn ball,” he said.

O’Shea feels confident about several options that are available to return kicks, which will be especially important as long as Peyton Logan, the presumed top option, is injured.

Myron Mitchell, Gavin Cobb, Dillon Mitchell and Keilahn Harris are among the others who have taken turns this spring. Myron Mitchell was the only other player to log a return in the first pre-season game.

O’Shea said Wednesday that the team will “probably rotate a few more guys” at returner in the club’s final exhibition contest against the Roughriders in Regina on Friday.

Vaval made a splash in the receiver-defensive back period of Wednesday’s session, jumping an in-breaking route perfectly and securing an interception on a throw from Chase Artopoeus.

He called it an example of how much freer he’s playing these days. Unlike his first time in Atlanta, Vaval isn’t worried about what his future holds.

He’s enjoying playing football while it lasts, and letting the cards fall where they may.

“Ever since I’ve been here, (I’ve been) taking every day, day-by-day. Today, I had a good practice. I’m not even worried about tomorrow. We still have to go watch film. So, I’m not really worried about it because, at the end of the day, you could be the best on the field… and get cut… so whatever I can’t control I’m just not even going to think about,” he said.

“Come in, play to my best ability and not even think about it.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam