Learning From Legends, Chasing Dreams: The Blue Bombers' Hopeful Eye Games

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Seven years ago, when receiver Cody Case was a freshman at the University of South Dakota, he met a quarterback he'll never forget.

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“He's the best teammate you can have,” Keys said Friday at Blue Bombers training camp. “I don't know how to explain it better. Establishes a direct relationship with everyone. And he will always have your back. I was a first-year student, he was the captain and star of the team. And he's bringing all the young guys in for extra throws and things like that.”

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Fast forward to the present and Case is working with the same quarterback in Winnipeg. This time, his mentor tries to help Case find a job in professional football.

His name is Chris Streveler.

“You all know Streve,” Keys, 25, said with a laugh. “He's a legend here, he was a legend in South Dakota.”

Players like Case will want to find work alongside fixtures like Streveler and starter Zach Collaros.

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They've been at it for a week now, with rookies bombarded with information, plays and formations they've never seen before.

While veterans can benefit from extra work with them, their fate often comes down to the three-hour sessions we call preseason games.

Winnipeg's first comes Monday afternoon in Regina.

The streak survivors will look for their second win at home against Calgary in 11 days.

“They're going to be very important,” Case said. “You have to show them that you can play in the game and not just practice. It will be important to stand out on game day.”

A week ago this would not have been possible.

Case has an interesting way of describing his first two days at camp.

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“I was still playing football, but I wasn't involved in what I had learned before,” he said. “What am I doing? I ran with my head cut off.”

Today, he has a real feel for how the CFL game is played, with all the movement, all the room, the extra man on the field, the three voices.

The learning curve was huge. The biggest challenge is that we hear newcomers speak.

“A 12-yard curl becomes a 22-yard curl,” says Case. “You have to find a way out of that break in three or four moves. A lot of running. But the advantage is undeniable. Defense is hard to come by (you).

“If you drop it, it could be fatal.”

He'll show he's ready, or at least will be, when he gets the game plan for Monday.

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Who knows how much he'll play?

He certainly wants to touch the ball, but he couldn't in one NFL preseason game last year with the Indianapolis Colts.

“It was a great experience,” he recalled. “I dreamed of playing in the NFL. I get the same feeling here.''

Some CFL hopefuls took it a step further.

For example, receiver Myron Mitchell played one season with the Minnesota Vikings in Chicago a few years ago.

He got into that one play.

He believes in a lot this time.

“I ran with the starters today and the second group yesterday,” Mitchell said Friday. “So I don't know when, but I definitely have to play. It will be important to show the coaches that I can be in the right place at the right time, that I can complete my tasks. So the games will be big for me.”

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They are also great for trainers.

It's one thing for a player to look good in practice, and quite another when an unfriendly opponent is determined to sabotage his every move.

“When somebody else is trying to hit you, it makes a difference,” head coach Mike O'Shea said.

“You hear that in a lot of contact sports. You really have to see what happens when someone tries to put it on you.”

After 10 days or more of physical and mental exhaustion, the challenge only increases.

Receiver Drew Wolitarsky remembers the first time he tried to crack the Bombers' roster. It was 2017, when 18-year-old Keys met the legendary Streveler in South Dakota.

“A lot of these guys are going through a lot of trouble,” Wolitarsky said. “This camp is not easy. CFL camp is not easy. You can see some guys struggling, man. You have to survive the camp to survive the season. They need to see that you have tenacity and determination.'

Another thing to show: Desire.

When the Bombers scout players, they look for love of the game as much as physical attributes.

So, it's not about getting a job, it's about achieving a dream.

“It means everything,” Case said of the touchdown. “My dream is to play football as long as possible. And to do it professionally would be a dream come true.”

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