Fenner prepared to do his part(s) to help team win

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This article was published 12/06/2019 (2279 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Before he leaves the practice field every day, Chandler Fenner juggles tennis balls. It’s deliberate work, fine-tuning his dexterity and timing.

The routine is symbolic of the Winnipeg defender’s approach to the game and how he expects to play it, juggling the varied skill set that has become part of his resumé.

For example: after joining the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2018 as a free agent from the B.C. Lions, the 6-1, 205-pounder started the first four games at strong-side linebacker before he got injured, lost his job and missed three games.

When he returned to action on Aug. 10, his mission was to fill in where ever he was needed, whether it was at linebacker or in the secondary.

Fast-forward to the beginning of training camp this spring, and Winnipeg’s needs have changed again.

The departure of veteran cornerbacks Kevin Fogg and Chris Randle, and an injury to highly regarded second-year man Chris Humes, were the catalyst. Free-agent signee Winston Rose was shifted to Randle’s old spot at boundary corner, with Fenner now pencilled in at field corner.

So what about this unexpected position switch?

“Oh, I was happy about it,” Fenner, a 28-year-old from Virginia Beach, Va., said Wednesday. “It was trial and error and just putting people in different places, experimenting with it. I think it turned out well.

“It’s actually my natural position. I didn’t play the dime or nickel position until I got up here. Being able to come in and play corner again, I think, has an advantage for the team. And it’s definitely a benefit for me to see things from the outside in. I think that’s shown through training camp, and will show going into the regular season.”

The Bombers open their regular-season schedule in Vancouver against the Lions on Saturday night, and defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall believes his unit is in a good place, despite needing to retool a secondary that is also missing three-time all-star safety Taylor Loffler, who left via free agency for the Montreal Alouettes.

Fenner has been at the forefront of the transition.

“He can run, he’s big, he’s aggressive, so let’s try him out there and he’s adapted very well,” Hall said. “He’s very confident out there, and I think that’s a key thing. He communicates out there, him and (halfback Brandon Alexander), they’ve done a great job.”

Fenner, an eloquent speaker, oozes leadership ability. And his willingness to accept any task has earned the trust of Winnipeg’s coaching staff.

“He’s such a good athlete and he’s such a hard worker in the meeting rooms and in the film room,” Bomber head coach Mike O’Shea said. “He’s a pro. You want to get him on the field. So, you don’t want to limit him by keeping him in one spot, where you know you like the guy ahead of him, too.

“The challenge is moving guys around to give them the opportunity to show what they can really do and give them an opportunity to play. That’s what we did.”

Fenner, for his part, expects his versatility to be tested.

“I couldn’t tell you where I was half the time (last year) because I was always somewhere else,” he said. “So, we’ll see how it goes this year. Because it could be the same thing. Just because I’m there (at corner) now doesn’t mean I’m going to be there every week. It could be a game-plan thing, it could be a week-to-week thing, depending on how they want to use me.

“I still can play on the inside. I can still be in the box, a tackling threat, a blitzer — or they could just want me to cover on the outside.”

Fenner is also integral to Winnipeg’s coverage and return teams, where he led the club with 24 special-teams tackles while adding 20 defensive tackles, two quarterback sacks and two pass knockdowns.

Should full-time duty on D mean he’d like to scale back his special-teams duties?

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“Heck no,” Fenner said. “If anything, and you need a break, you take a break on defence. You need to play those special teams. That’s as important as anything else. You’ve gotta make sure you’ve got the stamina and the cardio to do both. I take pride in being able to do both.”

Fenner doesn’t have the final word here, however.

“The old-school guy says you’d love to see him start and play four (special) teams,” O’Shea said. “And Chandler Fenner is a guy we believe can. We think he’s a four-team guy, and there haven’t been too many of those lately because the rosters have increased in size. I know he can do it. Whether we choose to, we’ll see.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14