The best way to describe T.J. Heath’s 2016 Canadian Football League season – split between with the Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers en route to an all-star berth – might be ‘memorable.’

And now some of the mementos from that campaign have been stolen.

Folks stole all my interception and game balls from last year that I had in storage!! I can’t stand a thief man. This one hurt man smh

— T.j. Heath (@TjHeath34) June 3, 2017

A few weeks ago, Heath’s storage locker in Jacksonville, Alabama was broken into, the thieves making off with some of the game balls he earned last year into tying Moe Leggett for the CFL lead in interceptions with seven.

“At the time I didn’t realize I had put some of my personal items in there like my balls,” said Heath after practice on Saturday. “It just hit me that they were in there. It hit me hard. It’s something I worked hard for and I kept all those balls for a reason.

“It was tough for me last night just wrapping my head around of all it. But this is a new year and hopefully I can get more of them and I’ll have something to show my kids one day.”

Heath is working in a secondary deep in new talent, but with the No. 1 unit – save for Derek Jones replacing a nicked up Taylor Loffler – essentially the same as it ended last year. Chris Randle and Terrence Frederick are the corners, with Heath and Bruce Johnson inside at halfback.

“I’m still getting to know the guys and the good thing is I’m really starting to get to know each one of them as a person as opposed to just a player and that translates on the field,” said Heath. “We’ve got most of the same guys back. It’s getting better now that I know the guys, know the playbook.”

Asked what an encore to 2016 might look like, Heath added:

“It would definitely be great to comeback with a great encore like last year. But I just want to get better and if that’s leading the league (in interceptions) again, I’m fine with that obviously.”

“If not, then I just want to come out here and play solid football day in and day out.”

Heath was part of the blockbuster trade with the Argos last year that sent quarterback Drew Willy and a fourth-round pick in 2017 to Toronto and netted the Bombers Heath, the first-overall pick this year (Faith Ekakitie) and a third-rounder next year.

“I think about it every now and then and I get asked questions about it all the time at home about everything that happened,” said Heath. “Personally, I think it was great. Looking back on it, I think it was a great thing for me to come here and still be able to play. That’s the nature of the game… how it happened (after a two-interception game and on his birthday) I was kind of upset about it. I look back on it and think, ‘Dang, that was crazy and I got to be a part of it.’ That’s something people won’t forget.”

Heath, Leggett and Kevin Fogg (four interceptions) had a very healthy competition last season to see who could lead the league in interceptions. And that chatter is heating up again.

“That’s starting to creep out right now,” said Heath with a grin. “Big Hoss (defensive back coach Tony Missick) is starting to keep track of how many interceptions we have in practice. So the talk is starting. The thing about it is Moe hasn’t been practising for a few days. But he’s still chirping from the sidelines. It’s Moe being Moe.”

BOMBERS CAMP – Day 7

 Return to sender? The Bombers kick-return situation remains just as muddy as it did at the start of training camp. Prime candidate T.J. Thorpe has missed the last few days of practice, Kieren Duncan was released on Saturday, while the club added a defensive back with return skills in Matt Smalley.

Smalley (5-10, 195, Lafayette) spent four years with the Lafayette Leopards and was selected to the All-Patriot League First Team twice and named to the STATS Preseason All-America Third Team in his final season as a defensive back and return specialist.

On top of all that, Quincy McDuffie – who led the CFL in kickoff return yardage with the Bombers before heading to the NFL – was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Friday.

“We’re still auditioning,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea of the search for a kick-return specialist. “We’ve got a bunch of guys that are working a little bit right before practice. I think I even saw Brucey (Johnson) out there catching some balls. They know there’s a spot right now so it’s starting to draw a bit more of a crowd.”

And on a possible return of McDuffie, O’Shea indicated he would be chatting with GM Kyle Walters on that subject.

“I haven’t spoken to (McDuffie),” said O’Shea. “I imagine Kyle and his staff are figuring that out or starting a conversation with him. I’m not sure what his wishes would be. He led the league in (kickoff) return yardage last year and on offence he was pretty dynamic.”

Walking wounded: DB Kevin Fogg, DB Chris Greenwood, DB Abu Conteh, WR Addison Richards, WR Matt Coates, S Taylor Loffler, LB Moe Leggett, SB Gerrard Sheppard, SB/KR T.J. Thorpe, DT Ian Marouf, DB Darrell Walker Jr.

Who stays, who goes? O’Shea said discussions have begun as to which players will make the trip next week to Regina for the first preseason game. As the Roughriders will be playing in new Mosaic Stadium and the Bombers play their first regular season game there on Canada Day, many veterans are eager to get a feel of the place in the preseason game.

“There’s some consideration of that,” said O’Shea. “You want to get guys a little more acclimated to the facility. That would pertain, more or less, to kickers and quarterbacks… those would be the important positions to see the stadium.”

High praise for Jake: O’Shea on Bombers defensive tackle Jake Thomas:

“He’s a tireless worker. I just watched him in one-on-ones today and he’s come back this season having worked on getting better. I think he’s improving. He improves all the time. He’s a bull in there. He can push the pocket. He runs hard… he’s smart, he’s real likable and you tell him something once and he’s got it. And he’s out there teaching, he took a rep on the O-line today and he’s trying to do whatever he can do.”