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Get the latest from Paul Friesen straight to your inbox Published May 17, 2024 • Last updated May 18, 2024 • 4 minute read Seven years ago, receiver Kody Case was in his first year at the University of South Dakota when he met a quarterback he'll never forget. Advertisement 2 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. or Article content "He's the best teammate you could ever have," Case was saying at Blue Bombers training camp on Friday. "I don't know to explain it better. Builds relationships with literally everybody. And he'll always have your back. I was a freshman and he was the captain, star of the team. And he would just bring all the young guys in for extra throws and everything like that." Fast-forward to the present and Case is working with the same quarterback in Winnipeg. This time his mentor is trying to help Case earn a job in pro football. His name: Chris Streveler. "You guys all know Strev," the 25-year-old Case said, laughing. "He's a legend around here, he was a legend at South Dakota." Players like Case just want to earn a job alongside fixtures like Streveler and starter Zach Collaros. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Article content Advertisement 3 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content They've been at it for a week now, the rookies even longer, bombarded with information, with plays and formations they've never seen before. And while having veterans do some extra work with them surely helps, their fates often come down to the three-hour sessions we call pre-season games. Winnipeg's first comes on Monday afternoon in Regina. Those lucky to survive the cut will get a second, at home against Calgary, 11 days later. "They're going to be vitally important," Case said. "You've got to show them you can make plays in a game, not just practice. It'll be important to stand out on game day." That would have been almost impossible just a week ago. Case has an interesting way of describing his first couple days of camp. Advertisement 4 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content "I was still playing football, but no relation to what I've ever been used to," he said. "It was, 'What am I doing?' I was running around with my head cut off." Today he has a real feel for how the CFL game is played, with all its motion, all that room, the extra man on the field, the three downs. The learning curve has been immense. The biggest challenge, that darn waggle we keep hearing rookies talk about. "A 12-yard curl turns into a 22-yard curl," is how Case put it. "You've got to find a way to get out of that break in three, four steps. There's absolutely a lot of running. But there is definitely an advantage. It's hard for the defence to get hands on (you). "If you get it down, it can be lethal." Case figures he's ready — or at least will be — when he gets the game plan for Monday. Advertisement 5 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content How much he's going to play, who knows? He'd sure like to touch the ball, though, something he didn't get a chance to do in his one NFL pre-season game, with the Indianapolis Colts last year. "It was a great experience," he recalled. "I was living out a dream playing in the NFL. I'm getting the same feeling here." Some CFL hopefuls have been one step further. Fellow receiver Myron Mitchell, for instance, played in one regular-season game with the Minnesota Vikings, in Chicago on Monday Night Football a few years back. He got into one play in that one. He's counting on more this time. "I ran with the starters today, second group yesterday," Mitchell said on Friday. "So I don't know when, but I should definitely play. It'll be important just to show the coaches I can be in the right spot at the right time, that I do my assignments. So the games will be big for me." Advertisement 6 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content They're big for the coaches, too. It's one thing for a player to look good in practice, another entirely when an unfriendly opponent is just as determined to disrupt everything he does. "When somebody else is trying to hit you, it does change things," head coach Mike O'Shea said. "You'll hear that in most contact sports. You've really got to see what happens when somebody's physically trying to put it on you." After a physically and mentally draining 10 days — or more — the challenge only increases. Receiver Drew Wolitarsky remembers when he was trying to crack the Bombers roster for the first time. It was 2017, the same year an 18-year-old Case was meeting the legend Streveler at South Dakota. "A lot of these guys are pushing through a lot of adversity," Wolitarsky said. "This camp's not easy. CFL camp is not easy. And you can see some guys struggling, man. You've got to be able to survive camp to survive a season. And they've got to see that you've got that tenacity and that grit." Another thing that'll show through: Desire. When the Bombers scout players, they look for a love of the game as much as they do physical attributes. So this isn't so much a job application as it is the pursuit of a dream. "It would mean everything," Case said of landing a spot. "My dream is to keep playing football for as long as possible. And to do that professionally would be a dream come true." pfriesen@postmedia.com X: @friesensunmedia Article contentSign In or Create an Account
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