Move to D-line coach natural for lifelong Bomber Thomas

Jake Thomas wasn’t planning on retiring.

The 35-year-old defensive tackle expressed in his exit interview with head coach Mike O’Shea that he was interested in strapping on a helmet for a 14th season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Then, a few weeks later, a new opportunity presented itself. Defensive line coach Darrell Patterson had informed the club he was retiring after five seasons in the role, leaving O’Shea with a vacancy on his staff that needed to be filled.

He floated the idea by Thomas, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Bombers officially announced Monday that Thomas had traded in his cleats for a coaching whistle.

“It’s one of those jobs where if you don’t take it now, it’s not going to be there forever,” said Thomas in a Zoom call with reporters on Tuesday.

“I had a few days to talk it over with my wife and I was shocked at how supportive she was and here we are. At the end of year meeting when I was talking to you guys, this wasn’t a plan. But I’m very happy how it worked out, and usually the best things in life aren’t overly planned too much.”

Thomas has spent the past few years working as a real estate agent during his off-seasons in New Brunswick. His new gig means he’s also saying goodbye to that career.

“I think real estate actually made me realize how much I actually love football. Same with COVID. I think pre-COVID, I kind of took for granted how awesome my life was as a professional football player,” said Thomas.

“To kind of have that taken away from you I think kind of rekindled that love for the game, and I think that’s probably why I played as long as I did.”

Thomas wanted to make sure quarterback Zach Collaros, left tackle Stanley Bryant and guard Patrick Neufeld — the three oldest players on the team — heard the news from him first. He shared a special bond with his fellow vets and didn’t want them to find out while scrolling on their phones.

“I kind of felt bad telling them. It was almost as if I was letting them down, that I wasn’t staying to go on one more run,” said Thomas. “But that’s life. You’ve got to roll with the punches.”

Thomas first arrived in Winnipeg back in 2012 as a fourth-round draft pick out of Acadia and was considered a longshot to even make the practice roster.

“I do remember during my draft interviews, I think I told a few teams I thought I’d be able to help them out for the next decade, but I don’t know if I really thought that to be true,” admitted Thomas.

He not only made the team but went on to become the longest-tenured Bomber of his era as his 223 career games ranks fourth all-time in franchise history. He became a starter in his third season and was incredibly durable as he didn’t miss a contest in his last eight seasons.

Thomas retires with 33 sacks, 196 tackles, five forced fumbles and one interception and, most importantly, two Grey Cup rings.

“Growing up I was always drawn to athletes that were just with one franchise the entire time. My favourite athlete ever was Mario Lemieux and when you think of him you think of the Pittsburgh Penguins,” said Thomas.

“(Winnipeg) was a great place for me to become a man. I spent my time from 21 to 35 there. It’s a great city to raise a family. There was no reason to ever leave.”

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