‘I wouldn’t change my journey’

Jake Ceresna looks exactly how you’d imagine a professional football player would.

The 6-5, 290-pound defensive end for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers has a hulking, broad-shouldered frame built on a pair of tree-trunk legs.

But considering where he came from, it’s rather remarkable that he’s been giving opposing quarterbacks nightmares in the pros for a decade.

For starters, he hails from New Fairfield, Conn. The list of pro football players from the town of approximately 14,000 people starts and ends with Ceresna.

“It’s more a lacrosse town,” Ceresna told the Free Press after Wednesday’s closed practice. The Bombers (4-4) host the Ottawa Redblacks (0-8) on Friday.

“And Connecticut is not really a football state, either.”

Ceresna loved all sports growing up. He got his start on the gridiron when he was eight, while also playing baseball, basketball and wrestling.

“I was always a smaller kid playing growing up. I was always kind of a backup,” he said.

That changed in high school. He grew six inches — with his shoe size jumping from 10 to 13 in one summer — and began frequenting the weight room early and often.

“I always loved sports. I just wanted to be a professional sports player in something. And then in high school, it just became apparent that I was better at football,” he said.

As a senior at New Fairfield High School, he was the team captain and MVP, while also being named all-conference. But it didn’t matter — there were no NCAA powerhouse programs knocking on his door.

“Small town, small high school, and we weren’t good either. I think we went 3-7 my last two years,” he said.

“There wasn’t a lot of scouts coming around, that’s for sure.”

Eager to keep playing, he went the Div. II route and ended up at Southern Connecticut State University for a year before moving over to Div. III to suit up at Cortland State University(2013-15).

Ceresna is the only member of the Bombers to come from the D-3 ranks.

“Because of my size alone, (teammates) are usually like ‘What the heck? That doesn’t make sense.’ But I take so much pride in being a D-3 product,” he said.

“I wouldn’t change it for the world, I wouldn’t change my journey — even though I had school loans after.”

In an average NFL year, there are typically fewer than 10 D-3 players in the entire league.

Ceresna had impressed enough at Cortland, though, to earn a look. He was invited to Kansas City Chiefs rookie minicamp in 2016 before taking his talents north to the CFL for training camp with the Ottawa Redblacks.

“I got my passport because my agent told me to, and then I got this call from the Redblacks and I was like ‘Who are the Redblacks? What league is this? I’ve never heard this name before in my life,’” said Ceresna.

It didn’t take him long to fall in love with the Canadian game, but it would take a little while longer for him to make a name for himself in the three-down loop. He was released by the Redblacks after breaking his hand in camp.

Once healed, the Green Bay Packers invited him in for a workout — although they were interested in moving him to the offensive line. When that didn’t result in a deal, he returned home and agreed to be the assistant O-line coach at Cortland.

Two days later, he got a call from the New York Jets. The next morning, he was on the practice field, rubbing shoulders with names like superstar corner Darrelle Revis and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

A high ankle sprain would lead to him being released at the end of August, and he made his way back to Ottawa in 2017.

After shining in the CFL, the New York Giants signed him in 2019, and he picked up a pre-season sack against his childhood team, the New England Patriots. But outside of that, Ceresna has been plying his trade in The Great White North between Ottawa, Edmonton and Toronto before signing a two-year deal with Winnipeg this off-season.

The two-time CFL all-star won a Grey Cup with Toronto in 2024.

“I always had that belief, but I never knew which direction my career was going to go in. But I’m glad I’m still playing defensive line and I’m still playing football 10 years later,” he said.

“I’m loving it, I’m having fun, and there are days when I’m out there on the practice field and I’m just like ‘Man, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing than this.’”

While the Bombers are struggling to stop the run, Ceresna is doing his part as a pass rusher. He’s tied for the CFL lead in sacks with six and is on pace to set a career high in QB takedowns.

“I think it’s a great reminder if you’re talented and you have the kind of work ethic that Jake Ceresna and a lot of our guys do, people will find you and good things will happen,” said head coach Mike O’Shea.

ROSTER MOVES

The Bombers released National defensive lineman Collin Kornelson and American defensive back Matthew Jackson on Wednesday.

Kornelson, a second-year pro out of the University of Manitoba, recorded two defensive tackles in five appearances this season. Jackson, a product out of Eastern Kentucky, played Week 8 against Calgary and had three special teams tackles. Jackson saw action in 10 NFL games between Tennessee and Jacksonville between 2023 and 2024.

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