Something special about this Blue Bombers unit

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This article was published 14/08/2018 (2582 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WHEN the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hit Investors Group Field Friday for their game against the Ottawa Redblacks, what will be blasted over the stadium speakers will be unusual to fans listening closely.

While it’s customary for either the offence, led by quarterback Matt Nichols, or defence, with stars such as Adam Bighill, to be introduced over the sound system just moments before kickoff, this week it will be a select group of special-teams contributors that will enjoy the spotlight instead.

It was only fitting that when players were notified of the shift in tradition, that the response from many of the 12 men that will share in the opening ceremony was mostly subdued. Yes, most agreed it was a neat opportunity, even if it did feel a little contradictory to what they stand for.

You see, special teams are the nitty-gritty, thankless part of the game — and many who do it wouldn’t change a thing about that.

“It’s a cool, it’s nice that they’re doing it, but I’m not always super comfortable with doing stuff like this, or stuff in front of the camera,” said Bombers linebacker Jesse Briggs, who, according to many of his teammates, is among the brightest minds on special teams. “That’s just not me.”

If you don’t know much about Briggs, now in his fifth season with the Blue and Gold, that doesn’t bother the 28-year-old. He, like many of the other players whose contribution come mainly on special teams, don’t like the attention most often reserved for stars on offence and defence.

“On special teams you fly under the radar but I definitely enjoy that and I enjoy the role,” said Briggs.

But as games come and go this season, hiding from the kind of success the various units on special teams are having is proving more and more difficult. It’s helped a little to be in the shadows of an offence that leads the CFL in points scored and a defence that, after a few tough years, seems to be finally catching up to the other two phases.

The decision to finally recognize the group before a game does not come as a reward for the Bombers’ sudden surge on special teams this year; in fact, they’ve been one of the more formidable groups in the league for some time. At least since Mike O’Shea, a Hall of Fame linebacker in his day but also a staunch believer and contributor on special teams, took over as head coach in 2014.

O’Shea, as well as general manager Kyle Walters and president and CEO Wade Miller — two others who carved out long CFL careers by their commitment to special teams — have helped create a culture that has many feeling rewarded playing for the less talked-about phase of football.

“A lot of these guys are backing up other positions and they’ve taken the role very seriously. It’s very unique — you don’t see that everywhere,” said fullback Mike Miller, who led the Bombers in special teams tackles last season, with 22, after spending the first six years of his CFL career with the Edmonton Eskimos.

“It comes from our coaches and the guys they’ve put in place to buy in to what we’re doing. They make sure we know how important field position is and how important special teams are in the Canadian football game.”

This season, thanks to kicker Justin Medlock and the cover teams for punts and kickoffs, the Bombers are ranked No. 1 in field position, with the average drive starting on their own 39-yard line. Winnipeg is also among the lowest-penalized teams when it comes to special teams, with just a combined 13 penalties between their cover and return units. They have scored one kick return touchdown and have allowed none against.

Kevin Fogg leads the CFL in punt-return yardage with 498 yards, and Shayne Gauthier is tied for third in the CFL with nine special-teams tackles. Medlock is third in net punting with an average of 36.7 yards per boot and has mixed in a couple of new kicks this season, including some with spins and turns that have, at times, created fits for returners.

“We have a bunch of guys that embrace their role and try to be the best at their jobs throughout the league. There’s no real one individual that sticks out,” said long-snapper Chad Rempel, who is regarded around the league as the best at his position. “I mean we have loads of talent but it takes all those guys collectively embracing that job… we all just embrace it.”

What’s been most impressive about the Bombers’ special teams this season is that they’re having continued success despite losing a number of key contributors. Derek Jones and Trent Corney have been out for a majority of the season and are unlikely to return, while others, such as Frank Renaud, Brandon Alexander and Chandler Fenner have also missed notable time this year.

It’s something that hasn’t been lost on special teams co-ordinator Paul Boudreau, who admitted the loss of bodies this season compared to his previous two has been somewhat of an unforeseen obstacle.

“I was joking with Al (Couture), our trainer, that he keeps taking guys away from me. But every week guys have stepped up — it didn’t matter who it was,” said Boudreau. “The fortunate thing for us is we’ve had over the last three years guys stay on board, so they know the system, they know what’s expected and they’ve bought into how important special teams is to the whole team.”

Added O’Shea: “There is an expectation of the level of that play that their teammates need to see. So when a guy gets his opportunity to be on the field on special teams he’s a starter on special teams and the guys around him are going to know what he’s doing and they’re going to look out for him. They’re going to expect him to play at a high level.”

It’s not unusual to see guys playing mostly special teams move on to other clubs, with the hope of landing a starting spot on offence or defence. But it goes beyond just a culture that appreciates special teams that makes players want to stay. Though there’s a serious tone to the group, it’s also important that they have fun, including mixing in a few “trick” plays.

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Examples of that this season include laterals on kick returns — as seen against the Toronto Argonauts in Week 7 and again in last week’s win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats — and an out-of-nowhere onside kick against the B.C. Lions in Week 5.

“The guys look forward to every week, that first meeting, seeing what we got cooked up for whoever we’re playing. They enjoy it and if you keep them fresh, give them some fresh ideas every week, I think they buy in to it more,” said Boudreau. “We don’t just work on stuff to not do it. It’s part of our identity and part of who we are as a unit.”

Since being front and centre isn’t part of the special-teams players’ identity, when it comes time for their moment in the spotlight on Friday, it will likely be met with mixed reviews. But once it’s all said and done, the fireworks extinguished and the game ready to be played, it will mark a quick return to the shadows — a place they feel most at home.

“A bunch of guys that drink beer together at the end of the day… they’re just normal dudes. You wouldn’t know for most of them that they’re professional football players when they walk off the field,” said Boudreau. “They’re just great guys.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.