Gray ready to rock for Blue

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This article was published 18/05/2019 (2305 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Geoff Gray hasn’t spent time gazing at the video of his CFL debut at the tail end of the 2018 season, and doesn’t own a framed photograph of himself in a Winnipeg Blue Bombers jersey for the first time.

Make no mistake, the Winnipegger is honoured to be playing pro football at home. He’s just not one for fawning over milestone moments.

“I’m not a really a super sentimental person, so I haven’t glorified that moment and played it back and forth in my head. I don’t have any (tokens) of that moment,” Gray said following the third and final day of rookie camp. “It didn’t feel like a full game. The experience helped, but it will be a lot different playing a whole game and a whole season.”

Last November, the former University of Manitoba Bisons offensive lineman was inserted into the Winnipeg lineup in Edmonton and played a couple of series against the Eskimos defence. It was little more than a taste for the 24-year-old first-round pick in 2017, who tried to find work in the NFL for two years before signing a three-year contract with the Bombers late last season.

This spring, he’s gunning for a starting gig as a protector for starter Matt Nichols and the club’s other quarterbacks — and there’s a job available.

Two key members of the O-line have moved on to the West Coast. Matthias Goossen, named a 2018 league all-star, opted to retire from pro football at the age of 26 to become a police officer in Delta, B.C., while Sukh Chungh signed as a free agent with the B.C. Lions.

Winnipeg has some talented returnees, such as Stanley Bryant, Jermarcus Hardrick, Patrick Neufeld and import Manase Foketi. Gray is definitely in the mix to replace Chungh at right guard.

For now, he’s not placing undue pressure on himself this early in the process.

“I just want to play my best, and if I play to the best of my abilities, I’m confident in myself and things will work out for me,” he said.

Gray, listed at 6-6, 310 pounds, had a free-agent tryout with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers in 2017 before being cut loose and moving on to extended stays with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, prior to signing with the Bombers last October.

Helping the Blue Bombers win a CFL championship is now his priority.

“I got a lot out of the (NFL experience), but there was a point last fall where I made a decision this is where I’d turn my focus. It took a while to work things out contract-wise, but this is exactly where I want to be,” he said.

“You can already feel the team mentality here, even with it being early on. Everyone’s here to win a job, but everyone’s here to make the organization better for that ultimate goal. It’s a great atmosphere.”

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea was candid about his affinity for the local guy.

“He’s extremely athletic, he’s very strong in the weight room, (he’s) got a lot of flexibility. He’s got a lot of bend for an offensive lineman,” O’Shea said. “Super smart guy. He’s as smart as they come, so he learns easy.

“He’s a rare combination of just his size, his athleticism, his strength and his intelligence. So, you look for him to really contest for a spot.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell