Just a quick guess here, but if we were to check in with Adam Bighill on the subject, he’d make this very clear, very quickly: there is still a ton of tread left on his tires.

Now, it’s only natural to wonder about when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers middle linebacker might consider stepping away from the game. His birth certificate says he’ll turn 36 this October, after all, and when we last saw him in the Grey Cup game last November, he was gutting out playing while hurt after suffering a leg injury in the Western Final.

Yet, there he was last year once again leading the Blue Bombers in tackles with 74, adding four sacks and a fumble recovery touchdown. He already ranks fourth all-time in Blue Bombers career tackles – a stat which has been tracked since 1987 – and is also sixth all-time in Canadian Football League history with 891 takedowns.

So, simply put, if the Canadian Football Hall of Fame hasn’t already commissioned the sculptor to get to work on his bust for the shrine, they can add it to their to-do list ASAP.

Bighill, understandably, is front and centre as we open Part 3 of our Positional Preview series leading up to the opening of main Blue Bombers training camp on May 12^th because he has been a focal point of that corps – and the entire defence – since he signed with the club in 2018 after a year with the New Orleans Saints.

His CFL resumé is stacked with accomplishments as, including his days with the B.C. Lions (2011-16), he is a six-time CFL All-Star, an eight-time West Division All-Star and a three-time winner of the CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award.

He’s back again this season to further add to his legacy while being one of the critical voices in a locker room stacked with leaders, looking to make a fifth consecutive Grey Cup appearance and add another championship after wins in 2019 and 2021.

Returning to lineup beside him at the weak-side linebacker spot will be Kyrie Wilson, the 31-year-old vet who has developed a ‘big-time game/big-time player’ reputation after his stellar work in the ’19 and ’21 Grey Cups. Wilson returned from an Achilles injury midway through last season and still finished tied for fifth on the team in tackles with 37.

Malik Clements left in free agency for the Toronto Argonauts, but Brian Cole is back, although his athleticism and speed might mean he also gets a look at the dime spot, which is included in our defensive backs preview.

There is Canadian depth behind those two in Shayne Gauthier and Tanner Cadwallader, along with Jared Beeksma. And with the retirement of Jesse Briggs this offseason, expect the club to look to add more talent in the CFL Draft next week to join 2023 pick Max Charbonneau, who will be in camp next month.

POSITIONAL PREVIEW ‘24

The Linebackers

The Returnees
Starters: Adam Bighill, Kyrie Wilson
Returning vets: Brian Cole, Shayne Gauthier*, Tanner Cadwallader*, Jared Beeksma*, Souleymane Karamoko

Newcomers: Michael Ayers, Max Charbonneau* (2023 draft pick), Jeremiah Gemmel
Departed: Jesse Briggs* (retired), Malik Clements (Toronto), Les Maruo

*Indicates Canadian

Keep an eye on:

LB Jeremiah Gemmel, #48

The Blue Bombers like his credentials as a player with some pro experience, including seven games last year with the Orlando Guardians of the XFL and NFL looks with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.

He started 38 games for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was voted a team captain in his junior season – and that’s the kind of stuff that especially matters in the Blue Bombers clubhouse.

Did you know?

Seven Blue Bombers players have been named winners of the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award dating back to its inception in 1955. Just two have been linebackers and both are two-time winners with the club – Greg Battle in 1990 and 1991 and Bighill in 2018 and 2021.

Notable Number: 4

As mentioned above, Bighill ranks fourth all-time in Blue Bombers career tackles (since ’87) with 382, after only Battle (587), Darryl Sampson (428) and Doug Brown (426).

Only five players are ahead of Bighill’s 891 CFL career total for tackles – Willie Pless (1,241), Mike O’Shea (1,151), Alondra Johnson (1,095), Chip Cox (979) and Barrin Simpson (955).