Big Blue get Lucky

Lucky Whitehead is living proof good things come to those who wait.

While patience was certainly required over the last couple of months, with the veteran receiver finding different ways to kill time until the phone rang, any anxiety over the unknown has been replaced by the pure joy of getting another chance to play the game he loves.

The fact it’s the club where it began for the Virginia native makes it all the more special.

“I already knew I would be ready when that time came. It’s obviously here now, and here I am, back at where it all started for me,” Whitehead said after his first practice with the team on Monday. “I can’t wait to get in front of these fans, and for my teammates, earn their trust and move forward, start getting these wins.”

Whitehead broke into the CFL with the Bombers in 2019 after NFL interest dried up, playing in 17 games and registering 52 receptions for 521 yards and two touchdowns. He spent one season in Winnipeg and was part of the magical Grey Cup run that snapped a 29-year championship drought, even if he didn’t dress in the playoffs.

He would eventually take his talents to B.C., and it was with the Lions that Whitehead developed into one of the most exciting players in the CFL. It wasn’t long before he was considered among the more dangerous deep-ball threats in the game, earning his first 1,000-yard season in 2022 after registering 932 yards in 12 games the year before.

At 32 years old, Whitehead isn’t the same player he once was. He says there’s still plenty of gas left in the tank and the Bombers are hoping he can regain some of that mojo as they look to boost their depleted receivers group.

“I didn’t get slower. That’s not the problem.”–Lucky Whitehead

The Bombers are still without Kenny Lawler (arm) and have ruled out Dalton Schoen for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury.

“I didn’t get slower. That’s not the problem. I earned a lot of knowledge, and I just want to play smart at this point in my career,” Whitehead said. “Right now, I’m just kind of learning the terminology again, just getting the offence down pat. I didn’t get in until Friday, I didn’t get the playbook until today. Any way I can help, that’s what I want to do.”

Whitehead said during his time away from the game he discovered a new love for gardening, and also wrote in a journal. He doesn’t like most vegetables, but that didn’t stop him from growing rows of cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers and even a watermelon, all of which he passed on to family and friends.

He brings a lot of positive energy with him, too, which should help the Bombers, who have stumbled to a 1-4 start. The Blue and Gold are coming off their first win in a 25-16 triumph at home over the Ottawa Redblacks last Friday.

“A veteran’s always welcome to lend his speed and his knowledge of the game,” said Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros, who arrived in Winnipeg at the trade deadline in 2019. “I think he can work his way in fast. We do a lot of motions and stuff… we ask those guys to do a lot in the run game. A lot of concepts are the same everywhere, they’re just called different things. The fact that he was here in ‘19, the majority of that has carried over.”

Part of the reason Whitehead wasn’t re-signed in B.C. or inked to a contract elsewhere at the start of the year was because of his asking price. He had been earning around $200,000 per season with the Lions, making him among the highest paid receivers in the league.

According to sources, Whitehead, while currently occupying a spot on the practice roster, will be paid less than $100,000 for the remainder of the season once he is moved to the active roster.

For those hoping to see Whitehead in the lineup sooner than later, head coach Mike O’Shea wouldn’t commit to any timelines. The Bombers head coach said Whitehead still needs to learn the playbook, adding he remains pleased with the current crop of receivers.

The Bombers have just one passing touchdown in five games, and no receivers in the top-10 across the league when it comes to total yardage (Nic Demski is 12th with 254 yards).

“He knows how we like things done. He certainly is a very positive guy. He’s, dare I say, joyful, on a daily basis. He’s good to have in the room,” O’Shea said. “When he gets out onto the field, he can be electric. Certainly, him having so many snaps in the CFL is a little different than some of our young guys. We still have to figure out where it all fits. But his desire to come here and take the role that he was given, that’s a good start.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton