O’Shea still evaluating injuries

By: Mike Sawatzky Posted: 9:43 PM CDT Tuesday, Jul. 30, 2019

GUELPH, Ont. — The Blue Bombers had a closed practice Tuesday, their final workout before Thursday’s Week 8 matchup with the Toronto Argonauts and head coach Mike O’Shea was facing some key roster questions.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/07/2019 (2230 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Namely, would defensive back Brandon Alexander, carried off the field with an apparent injury to his right leg on Monday afternoon, and strongside linebacker Anthony Gaitor (upper body), receiver Drew Wolitarsky (lower body) and Darvin Adams (lower body) play against the Argos?

O’Shea said he expected Gaitor and Wolitarsky to be ready.

“The other two we’re gonna give them another day and see,” O’Shea said. “They don’t need to practise. They’re pros and they’ll be looked at this afternoon and we’ll make a good decision.”

TRAIN LIKE WILLIE: It probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that all-star Blue Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson has an athletic skill set that transcends the usual stuff you’d expect for a kid growing up in the heart of football country: Beaumont, Texas.

In fact, Jefferson’s mom got Willie and his younger brother Phillip involved in gymnastics when Willie was in Grade 4. He continued in the sport until his high school years.

“Me and my brother and a lot of my friends from the neighbourhood, we were always outside playing sports and stuff like that,” Jefferson said. “Basketball, football and baseball, just running around. A couple of guys in the neighbourhood had trampolines. Being outside, turning backflips on grass. Your parents see you’re good at it.”

Jefferson was an average-sized elementary-school student but had his first growth spurt between Grades 7 and 8, going from 5-8 to 5-10. Today, he’s 6-7 and weighs 248, displaying a dexterity uncommon for someone of his size. In the off-season, he channels some of his old gymnastics training to help him remain flexible.

“As time went on, I got away from gymnastics,” said Jefferson, who started his college career as a wide receiver before evolving into a defensive lineman. “I can still do a couple of things. I haven’t been practising but I can do a back handspring to a full front flip. I don’t tune into gymnastics on TV, but if I do catch it, I know what’s going on.”

ANOTHER LATE-ROUND GEM: Rookie defensive back Nick Hallett is one of two late-round draft picks (defensive back Exume Kerfalla was picked in the eighth round) to earn a job with the Blue Bombers and the 25-year-old from London, Ont., is coming off perhaps his most impactful performance as a pro.

Hallett, Winnipeg’s seventh-round pick, was tied for the team lead with three special-teams tackles in Winnipeg’s 23-15 loss to the Ticats in Hamilton in Week 7.

“Playing university ball, I was always on special teams — that’s what I excelled at,” said Hallett, who played at the University of Toronto and had a large contingent of family and friends cheering him on at Tim Hortons Field. “Definitely the players and the coaches here have given me a bunch of tips, helped me grow as a player, so they’ve made it easy.”

Hallett loves his new team.

“This team is the first one I’ve been a part of that is working towards the same goal,” Hallett said. “Everyone’s so selfless with giving you tips or trying to make everyone around them a better player, I can really feel that camaraderie around this team and I love it.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14