It was the spring of 2012 and as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers settled in for the Canadian Football League Draft they knew the night would be short.
They called out just five names during the proceedings, selecting Washington State offensive lineman Tyson Pencer third overall, followed by Queen’s receiver Johnny Aprile 16th overall, Georgia State defensive lineman Christo Bilukidi in the 21st hole and Harding linebacker Rene Stephan with the 23rd overall selection.
And their fifth and final draft choice, 29th overall, was a 21-year-old kid from New Brunswick via Acadia University who, all these years later, admits to coming into training camp that year with a single goal: just to make the team and play in at least one CFL game.
Fast forward to today’s 20th edition of the Banjo Bowl and Jake Thomas — now a grizzled and respected vet in the Blue Bombers locker room — will be playing in his 200th regular-season game to go along with his 13 playoff contests, including the last four Grey Cups.
Just FYI, Pencer, Aprile, Bilukidi and Stephan combined to suit up for a grand total of 20 games for the Blue Bombers.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have a long career and really thankful that all 200 have been able to be here with the Bombers. That’s probably the most-special part for me,” Thomas said Friday on the eve of the Banjo Bowl.
“I was just trying to get one game at first, just try to make the team. Then a long time ago my goal was to play 100 games in six years and I remember talking to Osh (head coach Mike O’Shea) once and he said, ‘Why would you try to cap something?’ in just talking about years played. That changed my perspective but not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined to be playing 12-13 years. I always thought if I could play 10 I’d be done at 30 but it’s been fun and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.
“We have such a great locker room and I’ve said this numerous times when I’ve re-signed… it’s just that we’re finally really good. When I first got here we were really bad, so it makes it hard to leave when every year with the group we have I feel we should be competing for Grey Cups if not winning Grey Cups. It’s such a great locker room that Osh has built with Kyle (Walters, GM) and Wade (Miller, President and CEO) to give us such a great atmosphere to go to work.”
Thomas isn’t the type to chest-thump or boast about his accomplishments. In fact, his self-deprecating sense of humour is just the opposite. But his teammates and his coach, every single one of them, gush about his game and his personality.
“Unbelievable. That guy is the heart and soul of this team and the epitome of grit and going out and doing the job at a high level and never getting recognition for it,” said veteran guard Pat Neufeld. “I love that guy like a brother and we’ve been through a lot of ups and downs with this organization.
“To play 200 games is unbelievable, especially as a D-tackle with the chips stacked against him his whole career. You can’t say enough good things about Jake and what he means to me and this team.”
Blue Bomber hall of fame defensive tackle Stan Mikawos once described playing the position as akin to being the frozen side of beef the Italian Stallion pulverizes while training in ‘Rocky.’ Yes, Thomas has slugged it out at a position where ankles and knees and get rolled up on and where heads and shoulders are thrown into a body with brute force.
There is an art to it, too, and both Neufeld and head coach Mike O’Shea saluted Thomas for his toughness and strength, but also his intelligence and understanding of the position.
“He’s got a very strong work ethic and genetically he’s just built. He’s a strong as they come,” said O’Shea. “He’s been a great teammate. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being around him and having his counsel. I would never try to cap anybody — he can go as long as he wants.
“… He’s mentored a lot of people and seen guys come and go and have success in other places that he’s had a hand in. He’s going to be a guy that whenever (he’s done playing) that is going to get a lot of phone calls later on in life, thanking him.”
Again, all this for a guy who rolled into Winnipeg for the first time as a 21-year-old just trying to crack the roster.
“Whenever I talk to youth football players or anyone whenever I have to keynote speak I always say the best two abilities you can have are durability and accountability,” said Thomas. “Accountability — being accountable to your teammates in that you know what their job is, you know what your job is. And durability — doing the things to be able to stay healthy.
“A lot of that also comes down to luck. The guy next to you gets hurt and some injuries are just pure fluke. I’ve been very fortunate in my career where I’ve been able to avoid those.”
O-LINE SHUFFLE: Neufeld returns to his right guard spot for today’s Banjo Bowl but veteran left tackle Stanley Bryant still won’t suit up after being taken off the field by stretcher in the win over Hamilton after the repercussions of a virus.
The Blue Bombers will again dress seven O-linemen today, with Kendall Randolph and Eric Lofton at tackles, Neufeld and Liam Dobson at guard, Chris Kolankowski at centre and Tui Eli and Micah Vanterpool for depth.
“Excited. Super-excited. It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to go out and hit someone, so I’m really excited to get back out there,” said Neufeld. “It’s going to be fast and physical but there’s probably going to be some rust out there, too, so I’m allowing myself a little bit of grace. But, ultimately, you’ve just got to go out and play the only way you know how.”
Neufeld, who was injured in the OT loss in Toronto in late July, said he watched last week’s Labour Day Classic at home while, ‘pacing, ‘yelling at the TV and sweating it out.’ Now he gets to be a participant again instead of spectator.
“It’s the feeling that you can’t do something about it,” he said of not suiting up. “It’s like being in an airplane — you’re not flying the plane, you’re just there for the ride. And that’s the same thing with that game. You’re just there for the ride going through the turbulence of it. It was stressful, but I’m extremely happy we got the win.
“… That word has been in my mind a lot this week — just being grateful. You could be doing a lot of other things and when you have a passion for this game and you know you can keep playing you’re going to do everything you can to get back and play. So, extremely grateful and I think I’m going to go out and play like it.”
