Tip of the cap: Former Bomber Kolankowski says fan response on his return was special

HAMILTON — Chris Kolankowski saw it coming.

He had a feeling he was going to be the odd man out after the Winnipeg Blue Bombers re-signed fellow veteran Canadian centre Tui Eli at the end of December.

“I heard what the details of that were and I was kind of concerned once I saw the numbers,” Kolankowski told the Free Press on Saturday.

Soon after, he got a call from head coach Mike O’Shea that confirmed his hunch.

Kolankowski, who was a pending free agent after starting the past three seasons at centre without missing a game, was subsequently released to get a head start on finding a new team.

“Osh called me ahead of time, let me know what was going on, let me ask any questions I had, answered them honestly and yeah, it was done very professionally,” said Kolankowski.

“I kind of asked for advice moving forward, going to a new team as a vet, and he gave me some good advice.”

The news left Kolankowski without a football home a week before the birth of his second daughter.

Fortunately for him and his growing family, he found a new employer just over a week later when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats swooped in and signed the 34-year-old Etobicoke, Ont., product.

The Ticats (2-1) are hosting the Bombers (1-2) on Sunday at 6 p.m.

“It was a very stressful time in life, which, obviously, the timing of football, you can’t control everything — they had to make decisions at that time. So, it was kind of not a great coincidence,” he said.

“The weekend was pretty stressful. Being an older guy, you’re not sure what people are thinking. Obviously, I thought I still had a lot of tread on the wheels, but you’re not sure what other teams think because I’ve seen some veteran O-lineman who I feel played well in a season and all of a sudden no one picks him up.

“So, it was a little stressful for the weekend there, but I had one team call me within 15 minutes to start talking about things so that helped. And then by Monday, there were a couple more teams talking so it was like OK, it looks like I’ll still be able to play football, now let’s just figure out what’s best for me and my family.”

After three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, including a Grey Cup victory in 2017, Kolankowski was out of the CFL in 2019. Not ready to call it quits, he drove eight hours to Cincinnati for a Bombers free-agent camp that eventually landed him a contract in 2020.

He spent most of 2021 on the practice roster before taking over the starting job in 2022 after Michael Couture broke his arm in Week 2. He never looked back.

Kolankowski and his wife, Rianna, even purchased property in Winnipeg and lived in the city full-time for two years.

“We embraced it. It was a good time. Winnipeg was great to us,” he said.

“That was where I reached a lot of goals that I set for myself, and I still have plenty that I want to accomplish before I hang up the cleats — but that’s really where I feel like I came to my own as a player and got comfortable in this league and kind of asserted myself as an O-lineman in this league.

“I’ll always look fondly on that time. To play that much meaningful football, to accomplish that much as a team, it was very special.”

Kolankowski, whom the Ticats are using as their sixth offensive lineman, is thoroughly enjoying playing in his own backyard in Hamilton.

“That’s the one thing we miss in Winnipeg — we had a great connection with teammates that we treated like family. We got together near Christmas, near all the holidays. During the season, we did a great job as a team getting together,” he said.

“But being closer to family is nice — it’s not a flight, it’s an eight-minute walk for my kids to see their grandparents so that’s really special.”

Kolankowski returned to Winnipeg in Week 3 and helped the Ticats hand the Bombers a 37-27 defeat. While running out of the visiting team’s tunnel was an adjustment, he was quickly reminded why he enjoyed his time in the Manitoba capital.

“I had a lot of fans yell out from the stands saying ‘Thank you’ and all that. A lot of fans were tipping their cap, it was special,” said Kolankowski.

“It was a nice moment.”

WHEATFALL WAVES GOODBYE TO WINNIPEG

Kolankowski isn’t the only former Bomber playing his first season in Hamilton.

Receiver Keric Wheatfall signed with the Ticats in free agency after failing to agree to terms on a new contract with his original CFL club.

He cemented himself as a starter last season in Winnipeg with 42 catches for 655 yards and four touchdowns. The third-year CFLer stuck it to the Bombers with three receptions for 102 yards in last month’s meeting.

“I’m at a stage in my game where I’ve developed a lot and I feel like now my game is tremendously way above how I was in Winnipeg,” Wheatfall told the Free Press on Saturday.

“I feel like over here, the ball spreads around pretty well. Coach Scott (Milanovich) does a real good job of getting guys open and getting guys in different spots and running different routes.

“It’s a fun offence, I love it over here.”

One of the main reasons he headed east was to reunite with old friend Kenny Lawler.

“I had a bunch of questions when I first got to Winnipeg and he was one of the main dudes that really told me I could do this, I could be that, if I could just keep my head focused and keep on stepping forward and growing in the CFL,” said Wheatfall, a 27-year-old from Brenham, Texas.

“Me and Kenny are real close. We hang out outside of football and all that. Kenny’s a big mentor, he’s a leader, he’s my roommate on away games, so, any questions I have, he answers it right away.”

With the Bombers coming off back-to-back losses, Wheatfall expects they’ll do everything in their power to get back in the win column at Hamilton Stadium.

“It’s probably going to be our hardest game yet … They’re going to come out firing, trying everything and being real physical, and we’re all prepared for that.”

O’SHEA ON BROWN

Quarterback Dru Brown will not dress Sunday.

The Bombers acquired Brown in a trade with the Ottawa Redblacks last week and intend to eventually make him the No. 2 quarterback behind Zach Collaros.

For this weekend, the backup job still belongs to rookie Canadian Taylor Elgersma.

“Just to give him another week,” said O’Shea shortly after landing in Hamilton.

“He’s the type of guy that can absorb a playbook or whatever, but is it really fair for him to be thrown out there? And then if he has to jump in and play, and the playbook gets shrunk a little bit because of some new verbage or anything like that — I just think he needed another week.”

The Bombers did make a few roster changes, however.

Rookie American Micah Mazzccua will make his CFL debut, starting at left guard in place of the injured Gabe Wallace.

Defensive end David Reese will also make his first start after Kydran Jenkins was moved to the practice roster. Canadian defensive tackle Collin Kornelson has been added to the active roster and will make his season debut.

winnipegfreepress.com/taylorallen