Wilson in battle for Bombers' third QB job – Winnipeg Free Press

Terry Wilson gets to know the lay of the land quickly.

The hope for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is that they have enough quarterbacks in the room to understand the situation they find themselves in as training camp progresses.

With the departure of Drew Brown to the Ottawa Redblacks and shortstop Dakota Prukop to the BC Lions, the Blue Bombers' depth chart is wide open outside of Zach Collaros and Chris Streveler.

That includes Wilson, Eric Barrier, and Jackson Taczynski.

While head coach Mike O'Shea was quick to point out that it's still early in the evaluation process for the guys battling for the No. 3 job, the opportunity to see them in game action could come Monday when Winnipeg visits Regina. Meet the Saskatchewan Roadriders.

“You've been through this before. It's nothing new,” a smiling Wilson said after Friday's practice. “I got a lot of information and tried to repeat it. I try not to put too much pressure on myself. I just want to know if I'm ready and what I'm doing.”

Leaning on the likes of Collaros and Streveler is part of the process.

“I just absorbed all the information,” said Wilson, noting that Michael Vick, Vince Young and Randall Cunningham were quarterbacks he looked up to. “Zach is so smart and you see some of his throws and you’re like, ‘Oh my. This is next level throwing. Like Streveler, he runs the ball hard and has a good arm. I picked his brain on angles and different readings.”

O'Shea has been surprised by how quarterbacks prepare and process information in the early stages of training camp.

“I like to listen to them and watch their work, how they are with their colleagues, their composure, their professionalism and how they interact. Their behavior is very important to me. That kind of stuff,” O'Shea said.

“If they make the same mistake a second time, it's probably a flaw because they didn't study enough. But if you get to that point, they know how to put in the hours to make sure they're ready to perform their plays the next day.”

Wilson, 26, admits he has a knack for diving into the playbook and quickly sorting out concepts.

“It's really about organization and for me personally I like my notes to be very clean and tidy. Because that's how you keep it in your records, you keep it clean and tidy in your mind, and that's how you go out on the field and do it,” said Wilson, who is 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds. “I follow my routine. If I need to study for another hour or two, I will. But a game is a game. I'm still learning.”

That athletic ability has led to success for Wilson at a variety of stops, including four schools at the college level and a stint with Houston players in the USFL last season.

Wilson's ability to stretch the field with his arms and legs should make him a threat whenever he finds a way to get on the field.

“There's no doubt about it,” Wilson said. “I'm excited to think about what I can do in this league.

“I know my skills. I can make plays and do things for the team and be very explosive. Right now I'm just trying to make sure I'm ready to play one day.”

Wilson has also had his fair share of struggles throughout his career, including a pair of season-ending injuries in college, one in 2019 when he suffered a knee injury while at Kentucky and his senior season after transferring to New York. Mexico when he was sidelined with a dislocated elbow.

“You go through rehab and you get better and you learn from things and you push yourself,” Wilson said. “Things happen. I try not to dwell on it. It puts a little chip on your shoulder and it makes you more motivated to get back on the field and get better.

“I grew out of it.”

Wilson made an early impression on Collaros.

“Terry and Eric are both very smart kids. They got what we were trying to do. I see growth every day,” Collaros said. “Both of them are talented and both want to learn. Terry's talent jumps off the tape. His arm talent, he can really turn the football around and he's a great athlete.”

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Ken Wiebe
Sports reporter

Growing up in the booming metropolis of Altona, Man., Ken Wiebe grew up wanting to play in the NHL, but after realizing his hands were better at typing than scoring goals, he turned his attention to covering his favorite sport as a writer.

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