When Jonathon Jennings lines up behind centre Alex Mateas Friday night in Winnipeg, it?ll be the first meaningful regular-season snap he?s taken since Nov. 11 last season ? when he was a B.C. Lion.
With Dominique Davis on the limp and unable to start as the 2-2 Redblacks try to knock off the heavily favoured 4-0 Blue Bombers, Jennings will try to do what he?s done plenty of times in his five-year CFL career ? win.
?I waited a long time for this opportunity, it seems like,? said Jennings after Wednesday?s practice at TD Place. ?I?m ready to go out and show what I?ve got.?
Asked about an adjustment to the Redblacks offensive schemes after four seasons with the Lions, Jennings said: ?I?ve had four (offensive co-ordinators) in five years. So I?ve seen all you can see in playcalling.?
While Jennings was a backup to Travis Lulay much of last season, it was only three seasons ago, in 2016, the then-23-year-old looked like one of the rising stars of the league ? throwing for 5,226 yards, with 27 touchdown passes. It was that kind of upside the Redblacks wanted to get a closer look at when they signed Jennings as a free agent in February.
?A lot of quarterbacks have had a rocky road,? said Jennings during training camp. ?It doesn?t always go great. Even Mike Reilly, everything wasn?t always peachy for him. You have to continue to grow in the game, continue to understand the game and build the confidence that you?re the best.?
And now, Jennings tries to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
?I came into this league and was patient,? he said. ?I?ve always trusted in God?s plan, that makes it easier for me to be patient. Anyone with a long career understands the ups and downs and trials. I?ve had some really good times and some lows. You have to go through a lot of stuff to grow to become the quarterback you?re supposed to be.?
SECOND AND LONG: The Blue Bombers may want to stick with an ?underdog? mentality, but the oddsmakers sure don?t look at it that way. Winnipeg is being listed as a 10 1/2-point favourite to beat the Redblacks. Over at CFL.ca, all six writers picked the Bombers to win ? It looks like Jerod Fernandez, who had 314 tackles in four years at North Carolina State, may get the start at middle linebacker Friday, with Avery Williams shifting to the WILL spot. ?I?m definitely excited to get a chance to go out there and do what I do,? said Fernandez, who signed with the Redblacks early last week. ?We feed off adversity. When you?re down, you fight back. This team has that in them. You can?t have your head down, you have to move forward.?
With Dominique Davis on the limp and unable to start as the 2-2 Redblacks try to knock off the heavily favoured 4-0 Blue Bombers, Jennings will try to do what he?s done plenty of times in his five-year CFL career ? win.
?I waited a long time for this opportunity, it seems like,? said Jennings after Wednesday?s practice at TD Place. ?I?m ready to go out and show what I?ve got.?
Asked about an adjustment to the Redblacks offensive schemes after four seasons with the Lions, Jennings said: ?I?ve had four (offensive co-ordinators) in five years. So I?ve seen all you can see in playcalling.?
While Jennings was a backup to Travis Lulay much of last season, it was only three seasons ago, in 2016, the then-23-year-old looked like one of the rising stars of the league ? throwing for 5,226 yards, with 27 touchdown passes. It was that kind of upside the Redblacks wanted to get a closer look at when they signed Jennings as a free agent in February.
?A lot of quarterbacks have had a rocky road,? said Jennings during training camp. ?It doesn?t always go great. Even Mike Reilly, everything wasn?t always peachy for him. You have to continue to grow in the game, continue to understand the game and build the confidence that you?re the best.?
And now, Jennings tries to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
?I came into this league and was patient,? he said. ?I?ve always trusted in God?s plan, that makes it easier for me to be patient. Anyone with a long career understands the ups and downs and trials. I?ve had some really good times and some lows. You have to go through a lot of stuff to grow to become the quarterback you?re supposed to be.?
SECOND AND LONG: The Blue Bombers may want to stick with an ?underdog? mentality, but the oddsmakers sure don?t look at it that way. Winnipeg is being listed as a 10 1/2-point favourite to beat the Redblacks. Over at CFL.ca, all six writers picked the Bombers to win ? It looks like Jerod Fernandez, who had 314 tackles in four years at North Carolina State, may get the start at middle linebacker Friday, with Avery Williams shifting to the WILL spot. ?I?m definitely excited to get a chance to go out there and do what I do,? said Fernandez, who signed with the Redblacks early last week. ?We feed off adversity. When you?re down, you fight back. This team has that in them. You can?t have your head down, you have to move forward.?
