Grant ready to light up Big Blue in return to River City

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This article was published 10/10/2024 (724 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It may be Janarion Grant’s most anticipated return yet.

Grant will enter Princess Auto Stadium as a visitor for the first time when the Toronto Argonauts (8-7) clash with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10-6) on Friday (7:30 p.m.).

The same building he shook on countless occasions during his four-year tenure with the Blue and Gold, the electrifying returner will try to silence with a few big plays in Double Blue.

“I always have a lot of energy during game week and of course game day, because I’m there to take it to the house every time,” Grant told the Free Press Thursday. “I know coming back here, old stomping grounds, as a regular it’s a little different, but I’m always ready to go. I’m just looking at the week as going 1-0.”

Grant said it won’t feel weird when he’s trying to spoil the party for his former club, but the way this season has played out for Winnipeg’s return unit, it certainly would be poetic if he breaks one.

Grant is the most prolific returner in Winnipeg franchise history, with eight kicks returned touchdowns, but was not re-signed by the Bombers last off-season as the two sides couldn’t agree on a new contract.

It came as a surprise to many, given Grant’s importance to the club’s wild success in recent years, and left him scratching his head.

“It’s a business so that’s how it is. That’s what it came down to. My focus was just to come out here, make sure I’m as healthy as possible and just put on a showcase for any team that wants me or is looking forward to having me on their team,” he said.

“Whatever works out, works out for the better. That’s what you always got to look ahead to, not the negative things, always the positive things.”

Things have certainly worked out for the 30-year-old, who leads the three-down loop with four return touchdowns, is tied for the lead with 15.7 yards per punt return and is second in average kickoff return yards with 24.7.

Meanwhile, the Bombers have struggled to find a replacement for their special teams ace most of the year, trying out four different players before adding a trustworthy option in Lucky Whitehead.

Winnipeg has lacked the explosiveness Grant provided, however. The Bombers are one of three teams to not record a return touchdown this season, rank dead last with two big-play returns (30-plus yards on punts; 40-plus yards on kickoffs), and only Edmonton ranks worse in average punt (9.6) and kick return (20.2) yards under first-year special teams co-ordinator Mike Miller.

“I think Mike’s an awesome leader,” head coach Mike O’Shea said of Miller. “The guys, they’ll do anything for him. Our cover team, they are damn good — they play with a lot of speed and physicality — and the return game is still developing. They’re still working on making sure they can put all the instructions in place.”

“We’re getting the yards that are available. We’d like to create a little more and probably spring a little more but I think we’re getting the yards that are available.”

Or perhaps it’s a more conservative approach being taken by those who have returned kicks this season.

Grant was lauded by his Winnipeg teammates and coaches for his fearlessness and his whatever-it-takes mentality.

Whitehead carries a more defensive mentality. Winnipeg’s average starting field position this season is the 36.4-yard line, which ranks eighth. The CFL average is the 37.2-yard line.

“Obviously, there’s some more plays we can make out there, but for myself when I’m back there, I’m also trying to just be smart. If the home run is there, I’m definitely gonna try to take it, if not, I’ll be smart as far as my body and getting down, just living to play another down,” said Whitehead.

“I want to put us in a position, in the spot, where it’s like I’m not hurting the team. So, just get the ball and just be smart.”

To Whitehead’s point, the best ability is availability, and the 32-year-old said the recovery after absorbing too many blows in a game has become increasingly difficult with age. That, and the fact he’s a top backup option at receiver and will have specific plays dialed up for him on offence, contributes to his conservativeness.

“Do I think I could get a few extra yards? Yes. But, like I said, it’s more so the offence, especially if they’re rolling, get them the ball back and let them keep doing their thing,” he said.

“Just for myself, I don’t want to take unnecessary hits if I don’t need to. I’m older now. Can I still do it? Can I still be that guy back there where it’s like I don’t care if I get blown up? Yes, but, 32, I’m not about to take these little blindside hits if I don’t need to. If I see it coming. I’m getting down.”

While pulling back the reins hasn’t hurt Winnipeg during its eight-game winning streak, it will be something to monitor as the stakes rise in the playoffs, when the battle for field position is all the more crucial as the temperature dips.

The stakes are plenty high entering Friday’s contest, and while Grant stopped short of calling it a revenge game, he agreed that scoring on a kick return against his former team would be extra sweet.

“Most definitely. Of course,” Grant said. “That’s what I look forward to every game because I know I can do that and that’s what our team looks forward to.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam