Vaval doubles up at CFL awards

When Trey Vaval first set foot in Winnipeg for Blue Bombers training camp in May, he just wanted a chance to prove he belonged.

Seven months later, the dynamic returner didn’t just earn a spot on the roster, he became a household name and among the most dangerous weapons in the Canadian Football League.

That meteoric rise culminated this week when Vaval claimed two major honours, earning the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player and Most Outstanding Rookie awards. Vaval is the third player in league history to win both awards in a single season, joining Winnipeg’s Albert Johnson III (2000) and Ottawa’s Lewis Ward (2018).

“Nah, not at all,” Vaval said when asked if he envisioned such a successful first season in the CFL. “Last year, I wasn’t even on a team. I was just at home with my family, working out and just waiting for an opportunity. Then getting to camp, I was just trying to make the team. I just wanted to make the team and be a part of the team and just play football. I wanted to do what I love. This wasn’t even something I was looking forward to.”

The moment Vaval got his chance, he didn’t simply survive – he proved to be a historic scoring threat, pacing the CFL with four return touchdowns, scoring twice on missed field goals, once off a punt and once off a kickoff. He also led the CFL in punt return yardage and finished fifth in kickoff return yardage.

The 25-year-old returner amassed 391 yards on missed field goal returns alone, setting a new Blue Bombers record. His brilliance in this area of the game was cemented during a Week 16 win over the Ottawa Redblacks, when Vaval set a new team mark with a 128-yard missed field goal return for a touchdown.

That lengthy score helped Vaval shatter the CFL single-game record with 199 yards on missed field goals. Not done there, he also became the first Bomber to return a kickoff and punt for a touchdown in the same game.

There were times during the season, particularly following a strong performance, that Vaval would diminish his impact, turning the post-game interview into something akin to a therapy session. While his confidence seemed to waver, his play never faltered, leading to Vaval being asked at what point in the season he finally felt like he belonged.

“Never, to be honest,” Vaval said bluntly. “We’re football players, and this is a business. They can get you, no matter how good you are. Tom Brady was with the Patriots and then he went to the Bucs. No matter who you’re with you can be gone at any moment.”

He added: “The city, I felt like I belong in the city. They show me nothing but love. A part of the team? That’s not up to me. That’s up to the coaches and everybody around me. I feel like they think I belong. We just all love each other, and we work our ass off for each other.”

Vaval expressed a strong appreciation for his Bomber teammates and for the opportunity to grow with them each week. He was an undrafted free agent coming out of college, and after a brief stint with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, was left without a football home.

Meanwhile, the Bombers had been looking for an answer for their return game after opting not to extend Janarion Grant ahead of the 2024 season. Grant signed with the Toronto Argonauts and put together another strong year, scoring four return touchdowns, while Winnipeg held a seemingly open tryout for the position all season.

Vaval wasn’t the Bombers first choice to return in 2025, but an injury to free-agent signing Peyton Logan ahead of training camp opened the door to make a strong impression and carve out a role with the Blue and Gold. The rest is history as Vaval never looked back, instilling fear in opposing cover teams with his blistering speed and willingness to put his body on the line.

“The team’s family environment. Just the coaches, the players, all of us, we just love each other and we have fun every day,” Vaval said. “We didn’t feel like we were going to work; this s—- was fun as hell. I get to kick it with some of my best friends; the coaches, I’m super cool with. Coach (Mike O’Shea) and (defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger), we super cool. That environment, you get around a bunch of dudes like that and coaches, it’s just easy to play for each other. You’re willing to sacrifice your body and everything for them.”

Adding to the moment was the fact Vaval got to share the evening with his mother Lori Grove and sister Tie’re Spearman. Vaval’s upbringing was a struggle, especially after his mother’s health started to rapidly decline, leaving them without a stable place to live. At one point, the three of them had to share a single mattress to sleep on.

That adversity early in his life helped form the foundation of the man he is today — empathetic and determined. Those traits have only been strengthened in Winnipeg, where he hopes he can continue his football career and the pursuit of getting better as an athlete and person each day.

“Just going through that stuff, I don’t really like feeling sorry for myself because people go through stuff every day,” he said. “My problems might be micro to someone around me, so I don’t really take it as that. Just charge it to the game, just work my ass off and try to be a good human, a good brother, a good son, a good teammate — all that. So, yeah, just work my ass off and be the best I can.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca