Seizing the day

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This article was published 20/05/2023 (871 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Malik Clements knows just as well as anybody how quickly an opportunity can arise.

Clements signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers ahead of the 2022 CFL season to provide depth at the weak-side linebacker position. He would end up doing much more than that, dressing for 14 games — 11 of them starts, including the West Final and Grey Cup — after Kyrie Wilson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in camp.

Fast-forward to today and Clements is back at camp. Wilson is also in the mix – though he’s still recovering from his injury and is expected to miss at least the first few weeks – as well as some rookies that have signed as free agents, much like Clements did two years ago when he got his start in the CFL with the Edmonton Elks.

“I always look at things as competition. But, really, it’s against myself,” Clements told the Free Press earlier this week. “I’m hard on myself to the point I’m trying to be better than yesterday. Just like last year, if the opportunity presents itself, I’ve got to make sure I’m ready to take full advantage it because we all have one common goal and that’s to win. With the game of football, it’s tough and injuries happen, so it’s always that next-man-up mentality and you’ve got to stay ready.”

Clements admits that it can be a stressful time, with much of that pressure coming from within. So, it helps the environment within the Bombers organization is one that stresses working together and having the success of the collective, not the individual, be front of mind.

After all, that’s what helped Clements make a relatively seamless adjustment to starter last season. Without the support of his teammates, he said, it wouldn’t have been nearly as smooth.

“I love it. Everybody is trying to encourage one another,” Clements said. “We understand that the best man has to be in each position, so we’re going to try and push everybody to become the best version of themselves. It’s friendly competition, at the end of the day.”

That competition is still very much playing out.

Wilson will certainly make things interesting once he returns to action. Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said he isn’t sure when Wilson, who was moved to the 6-game injured list, will be cleared to play, and he also doesn’t appear to be in any rush.

“The smart thing would be to give him as much time as he needs,” O’Shea said. “I’m assuming he’ll be six weeks, but we’ll see.”

O’Shea and the Bombers have been patient with Wilson, who has struggled with injuries over the last couple of seasons. In 2021, Wilson suffered a groin injury that forced him to miss half the regular season, only to return midway through the year to help Winnipeg clinch back-to-back Grey Cups.

It’s somewhat unusual in the CFL to hold onto a player dealing with significant injuries over a stretch of years, especially at weak-side linebacker – a position that is often leaned on by scouting staffs to be replaced by inexperienced and cheap Americans almost yearly. But the Bombers don’t do business like everybody else, and they remain loyal to Wilson.

“Over the last bunch of years when he’s been out there, you’ve seen a level of play that is very, very good and rising,” O’Shea said of Wilson. “So, I don’t confuse the issue and talk about all the last bunch of years and setbacks he may have had. I look at the positives and say, ‘Boy, when he’s out there, he does things that a lot of guys can’t do.’”

There are others on the roster who will be pushing Clements, who has been getting the reps with the No. 1 defence throughout camp, and Wilson for playing time. One of the more notable players is an intriguing rookie in Barrington Wade.

Beyond a cool name, Wade has been turning heads with his physicality and speed, as well as his love for special teams. He also has a wing-span that’s much bigger than someone with his height (6-1) and weight (210 pounds).

“They’re very long, like my arms touch my knees,” Wade said.

Wade didn’t rack up the stats in college while playing for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, starting just four games over the three seasons he earned playing time. But he clearly has something special, enough for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos to give him a shot.

It was during camp with the Broncos in 2021 that Bombers U.S. scout Cyril Penn first noticed Wade. He thought his skill set – notably Wade’s speed, strength and endurance – was a good fit for the CFL.

“I have speed, but I also have power, too,” Wade said. “I may not look too big, but I’m pretty strong. And my ability to run and never get tired, it helps a lot up here with the wide field.”

Wade isn’t looking too far ahead. Like Clements, he’s just trying to control what he can and let the rest figure itself out.

He’ll likely have to earn his way into the defence by playing special teams, which is no problem to the 25-year-old. It also helps that his head coach is a big proponent of that part of the game, and something he’s been preaching to every player looking to make an immediate impact.

“Sometimes in rookie camp, especially, guys stop their feet because they’re thinking about what just happened and maybe they slow down. But with Barrington, he ran to the ball hard on every single play,” O’Shea said. “With the idea of special teams, obviously he’s been listening. We let them know how important it is, so it’s nice to know that he heard it.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton