Bombers’ Collaros can relate to plight of Riders’ Fajardo

Zach Collaros has heard it all before.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback remembered his own experiences from back in the day when he was asked about recent comments by Saskatchewan Roughriders pivot Cody Fajardo.

During a Roughriders media availability Monday, Fajardo said it was difficult to hear and read people’s comments about his play during the 2021 CFL season.

Collaros recalled his days in high school, when he transferred to a new school.

“I remember the head coach saying to my parents, ‘Don’t sit in the crowd. Don’t sit with the fans. Your son’s the quarterback. You’re not going to like what you’re going to hear,’ ’’ Collaros told The Green Zone’s Jamie Nye in Hamilton, where the Bombers are to face the hometown Tiger-Cats in Sunday’s Grey Cup game.

“I’ve lived that through my little brother, being there when he was playing quarterback or even when he was playing elementary baseball and hearing things like, ‘Oh, he’s only playing because he’s (Zach’s) brother’ — that kind of crap.

“I’ve always just kind of tried to tune it out. The only people’s opinions that mattered to me are the guys in the locker room because we’re the ones who go to work every day together and we put it out there on the line for each other.”

On Monday — the day after Winnipeg ended the Roughriders’ season with a 21-17 victory in the West Division final — Fajardo said he was proud to be Saskatchewan’s starting quarterback, but choked up when discussing the criticism he has absorbed on social media.

Collaros doesn’t even listen to it.

“That’s not discounting our fan base or anything,” he said. “Ninety-nine per cent of what you hear is good. The one per cent kind of sticks with you. But I was taught at a young age that the people’s opinions that matter are the people that you love and that love you.”

Collaros was the Roughriders’ starter in 2019 before he suffered a concussion. That opened the door for Fajardo to take the reins of the offence, and Collaros was subsequently traded to the Toronto Argonauts.

The Argos sent him to Winnipeg later that season, and he helped the Bombers win the CFL title.

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Willie Jefferson also won the Grey Cup with the Bombers in 2019.

But, thanks to the cancellation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, it has been two years since that victory. So are the Bombers really the defending champions?

“Nobody else has been able to say they won it, so we’re still the champs,” the Bombers’ defensive end said. “But it has been a while since we’ve been able to play with the trophy and things like that.

“This year will mean a lot. We’re back and we want to hold it again.”

Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson. (Winnipeg Blue Bombers/Twitter)

Jefferson joined Winnipeg as a free agent in 2019 after spending the previous three seasons with the Roughriders.

In each of the past two post-seasons, Jefferson’s Bombers have beaten his former squad in the West final. That gave Jefferson bragging rights over one of his closest friends, Roughriders defensive back Ed Gainey.

“I can’t say I’m sorry that he’s going home,” Jefferson said. “I’m happy that he’s going home to see his son (and) see his family.

“I know my boy is going to root for me (in Sunday’s game), but it’s hard (to end his season).”

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The Roughriders led the heavily favoured Bombers 10-7 in the third quarter of Sunday’s West final, thanks in large part to six Winnipeg turnovers.

But the Bombers rallied to take 14-10 and 21-17 leads before holding off the Roughriders’ late-game comeback attempt.

That experience could help Winnipeg as it prepares for Sunday’s clash with the Tiger-Cats.

“You never go into a game planning to have adversity, but it is nice knowing that you can face adversity and overcome that,” said Regina-born Bombers offensive lineman Patrick Neufeld.

“It’s always nice to be able to reflect briefly on things in the past and that’s a game where we can say, ‘Look guys, we’ve been here before. If it’s not going our way, let’s just come together, focus on these things that the coaches are going to bring to us and let’s go out and play our half of football.’ ’’

As a result of that comeback against Saskatchewan, the Bombers have a chance to win their second straight CFL title.

The 2019 victory appears to have been a factor as Winnipeg built its roster in subsequent off-seasons. The Bombers’ lineup last Sunday included 35 players who were on Winnipeg’s 42-man roster in 2019.

“Being in that locker room and being around those guys, I know how hungry they are to want to do this over and over again,” Neufeld said. “We just had such a fantastic time …

“We knew we had a chance to bring a lot of guys back. We have a pretty tight group where we’re texting each other all the time and talking to each other all the time. It’s like, ‘Let’s come back and try and do this again.’ ’’

— With files from 980 CJME’s Jamie Nye