Jefferson Ready For Life As A Bomber

Willie Jefferson had options, the way you’d think a two-time CFL all-star with freakish athletic ability would have.

The quarterback’s worst nightmare landed in Winnipeg, Friday, saying it was pretty hairy acting as his own agent in free agency, there were so many teams that wanted him.

“Pretty much everybody,” the 28-year-old former Rider said. “Doing the things I’ve been doing the last two years, a couple of teams were really hot on my line, Winnipeg being one of them.”

Some current Bombers helped bring Jefferson to Winnipeg: O-lineman Stanley Bryant, whom he’s knocked heads with, receiver Darvin Adams and former teammates like Nic Demski (Saskatchewan) and Matt Nichols (Edmonton).

“Matt was on my phone, heavy,” Jefferson said.

Little wonder, as the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder gave the Bomber quarterback fits last season, most notably with a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Banjo Bowl.

“He almost single-handedly beat us,” Bomber GM Kyle Walters recalled.

Nichols convinced Jefferson this is a good place to live and work, a nice contract from Walters worth some $200,000 did the rest.

Even if trading green-and-white for blue-and-gold doesn’t come easy.

“When the conversations first did start, I was kind of hesitant to come this way,” Jefferson said, noting the rivalry. “But it’s a business. And then once I looked at their side of things, it really became clear which organization really was going after me the most.”

There’s also the fact Winnipeg is a contender, with another of the CFL’s top defenders at linebacker, in Adam Bighill.

Signed for one year, Jefferson says if he likes it, he’ll stay.

But first things first.

“Hopefully we can make something big happen.”

(Winnipeg Sun)