Brady Oliveira, Bombers’ focus ‘will always be to win championships’
CFL.ca
WINNIPEG — Greatness is the standard for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who look to appear in a sixth straight Grey Cup in 2025, this time at home.
Key players from last season like running back Brady Oliveira, quarterback Zach Collaros and defensive end Willie Jefferson are returning, and Dalton Schoen signed an extension with Winnipeg this past off-season.
That doesn’t mean there’s no change to be had in Winnipeg, starting with their strong receiving room looking a lot different without names like Kenny Lawler, Ontaria Wilson and Drew Wolitarsky. These changes present an exciting new challenge for the Blue and Gold.
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For Oliveira, the 2024 Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian and a two-time Grey Cup champion, it’s always about the team’s success over the individual accolades.
“For me, my main worry and focus will always be to win championships,” said Oliveira in a conversation with CFL.ca. “There’s just no greater feeling, not just for myself, but for everyone to experience. I think specifically, there’s guys that [I] have been playing with that haven’t experienced a victory. I’ve been fortunate enough to win two, but lose three, and in those three years, there’s guys that I’m still with that haven’t experienced it, and coaches that haven’t experienced it.
“A guy like [Bombers’ running back coach] Jason Hogan that we thought was going to [get one] last year, but a guy that I needed to help win a Grey Cup for. He needs to experience that, a guy like Dalton Schoen, he needs to experience a Grey Cup victory. So individual things are great. Those awards are great. But again, I’d give up the MOP trophy. I’d give up the MOC trophies for more Grey Cup wins.”
OL Stanley Bryant has won three Grey Cups in his career, including two with the Bombers (CFL.ca)
A team with a long history of not displaying any division champion or finalist banners, only the dozen Grey Cup titles the franchise has won, the message is clear – second best isn’t good enough again.
Eight consecutive playoff appearances and double-digit win seasons have helped them get to those Grey Cup appearances over the years, but without bringing home the hardware, the team feels that they will always have more work to do the next time around.
Offensive lineman Stanley Bryant, a leader and protector on the field for the Bombers, echoed Oliveira’s sentiment, agreeing that the work and dedication to each other is what matters most for the Bombers to see any success, especially with so many changes in the off-season.
“We’ve just got to stick to the grind, starting late nights, going to training camp and working on things week by week,” said Bryant. “Getting into the season week by week. Hopefully we’ve done a great enough job to the point at the end of the season that we’re on top.
“Let’s forget about last year, which I’m sure a lot of guys have forgotten about now, and focus on this year, just ready to roll and go through that process again, fall in love with that process all over and being able to just say that you put in the work to get to the point that we win the Grey Cup.”
