Jones on the hot seat against Roughriders

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This article was published 31/05/2023 (329 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Josh Jones will need to have one heck of a performance Friday night if he wants to remain with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The 22-year-old quarterback is in a battle with fellow rookie Tyrrell Pigrome for the team’s third-string job but already finds himself as the underdog.

Pigrome won over a lot of people last week in the club’s preseason opener in Edmonton by completing two-of-four passes for 43 yards, while leading the club with 71 rushing yards on five carries, and scoring a pair of touchdowns with his legs.

Jones, who started five seasons at NCAA Division II UNC-Pembroke, took the reins on the final two drives but wasn’t able to make the same splash in the 25-23 victory.

He’ll have another, also his final, shot to impress at 7:30 p.m. at IG Field when the Bombers close out their exhibition schedule against the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“Yeah, (Pigrome) did good. I’m excited to kind of expand on what I did last week and show what I can do with my reps,” Jones told the Free Press after Thursday’s walkthrough.

“I look to put more good things on film… So, I’m excited to go put the final product on tape and see what happens.”

Jones, a 6-3, 220 pounder, might not have the same potential as Pigrome as a short-yardage quarterback, but he can move, too. In his senior year, he rushed for 219 yards and 10 touchdowns, in addition to passing for 2,302 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a 59 per cent completion percentage in 11 total games.

He has an uphill climb in front of him, but Jones isn’t going to go down without a fight. He’ll also be going up against a familiar face in Riders defensive back Devin Jones as the two were college teammates.

“We’ve been trash talking a little bit so it’ll be fun. But coming from a small school, getting this opportunity has been awesome,” said Jones.

“I just love playing football. I love learning about it, I love trying new things in the game and stuff like that. So, just to go out and have another opportunity, I’m super blessed.”

Jackson a jack of all trades

Damian Jackson isn’t kidding when he says he’ll do just about anything to make the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The 30-year-old from Las Vegas arrived in town with a versatile skill set by being able to play defensive end and long-snapper. Jackson is now trying to add another position to his repertoire: fullback.

With second-year Canadian fullback Konner Burtenshaw placed on the six-game injured list, Jackson has been taking reps on offence for the past week.

He got his first game experience in the role on Saturday in Edmonton, and even stood out in a positive way by making a key block downfield on Pigrome’s 45-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

“Well, I always told coach if you need somebody like a fullback-type, somebody to hit somebody, that I’m your man. And then once (Burtenshaw) got hurt, I was like ‘If you really need somebody, hit me up,’ and he actually did,” Jackson said.

“It comes down to trying to find a job… So, whatever I can do to stay on the team I’m going to do it.” Jackson was the last player on the field Thursday as he was putting in extra work with running backs coach Jason Hogan.

“He’s all that. He’s absolutely 100 per cent all in, which is what you’d expect from guys being here,” said head coach Mike O’Shea.

“He’s willing to take more risks probably than other guys in terms of putting himself in a position where he’s out there on the field doing things he hasn’t done before.”

Jackson has had a unique story since the opening day of camp. He never played high school football, but after four years with the Navy SEALS, he had the itch to give the sport a try. He wrote letters to different NCAA programs asking for an opportunity and the University of Nebraska gave him one. He ended up walking on and making the team as a linebacker/defensive end before learning how to snap. After five seasons with the Cornhuskers, where he saw action in 20 games, he transferred to Buffalo where he made nine starts on the D-line and served as their backup long-snapper.

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Jackson is an intriguing candidate to make, at the very least, the practice roster. He can increase his odds by making more key plays against the Riders.

“(Despite) not playing football before college, being on a pro team has kind of been my goal. It’d be great to tell myself that after all these years, I worked towards my goal and I actually accomplished it,” said Jackson.

“So, that’s why it’s important to me right now.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Eighteen years old and still in high school, Taylor got his start with the Free Press on June 1, 2011. Well, sort of...

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