He is a household name in Winnipeg now; a rising Canadian Football League star with an infectious aw-shucks personality and the gridiron chops to match.
Funny thing – just over a year ago, Chris Streveler was finishing up a spectacular season with the University of South Dakota Coyotes: he was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the most outstanding offensive player in the Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision, and wondering what his football future might look like.
National Football League teams were intrigued enough to follow up with him after he went undrafted in the spring, offering him rookie camp invitations.
That’s when fate intervened in the form of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who invited the Crystal Lake, IL. product to their spring mini-camp. And from there, one of the most intriguing subplots to the Bombers 2018 season was spawned – coming in at #8 in our Year in Review.
There are any number of layers to the Streveler tale, but we’ll rewind to May 4th when the Bombers formally announced the signing of the quarterback prospect. He had third-stringer/project written all over him, given the top of the Bombers QB depth chart featured Matt Nichols as the starter and veteran Darian Durant, who had signed in January following his release by the Montreal Alouettes, as the No. 2. The club had also added Alex Ross, who had CFL experience with the B.C. Lions.
What happened next became not just THE story leading into training camp – but, after Matt Nichols injured his knee just before the season opener – also the early part of the Bombers 2018 campaign.
Durant unexpectedly retired and his decision was a double-whammy to the organization, not only as it left the club with a huge question mark behind Nichols, but because he had been given a $70,000 signing bonus which would impact the club in the salary cap. But Durant’s exit opened the door for Streveler, and he didn’t just wedge his foot in at the opportunity, he knocked the dang thing off its hinges.
He positioned himself quickly through camp and the two preseason games by out-duelling Ross, and then when Nichols was injured, was named the team’s starter for the season opener against the Edmonton Eskimos.
To put that into perspective, Streveler became just the 12th straight-from-college quarterback to start Week 1 for a CFL team since 1959, and the first since Anthony Calvillo with the Las Vegas Posse in 1994. And the last college QB to start an opener for the Bombers? Try John Schneider, way back in 1968.
“Every single day for me, I still am just trying to come in and learn and get better,” said Streveler before his first pro start. “This was never ever something I thought about. It was just about myself and trying to get better every day.
“I’m not going to be able to replace what (Nichols) means to this team as a leader or the player that he is. He’s been in the league for a really long time and I’m thankful to be able to learn from him in the short period of time I’ve been here. I’m not going to be able to replace that, but hopefully I can just fit in and do as well as I can and give the team a chance to win.”
Streveler gave the Bombers that chance to win in their opener, guiding the team to a fourth-quarter lead over the Eskimos before a late collapse cost them a win. He was at the controls for a 56-10 spanking of the Alouettes in Montreal a week later, and then struggled in a 31-17 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before Nichols returned.
But the 1-2 start, given the circumstances, allowed the Bombers to more than just tread water in the absence of Nichols. Streveler’s physical tools – he stands 6-1 and weighs 211 pounds – were put to good use by offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice, who kept his rookie pivot involved in the offence in various packages.
By year’s end, Streveler had thrown for 11 touchdowns and rushed for 10 more, making him the first Bombers QB in 25 years – since Matt Dunigan in 1993 – to hit double-digit TD totals through the air and along the ground.
And at season’s end, Streveler was asked to reflect on everything that had happened in his first year as a pro. His answer, it turns out, offered a perfect snapshot of why so many inside and outside of the organization are thrilled he will be back in 2019.
“June… wow, that feels like a long time ago, man,” said Streveler. “It’s a long season, the longest I’ve ever had in my life, by far. That’s one of the things you learn during the year: how to be consistent. I’m just really thankful to be a part of such a great organization. A lot of great teammates… great veteran guys, young guys. This has been such a great locker room to be a part of for someone like me in their first year.
“There are a lot of guys that have been doing this for a long time and have helped teach me how to be a professional and how to carry myself on a day-to-day basis. I’m thankful for all that.”
This is the third in a series recapping the Top 10 Bomber stories of 2018.
Next: #7 – The Comeback
