Photo: Gideon Mojica/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers faced media scrutiny at practice on Monday when Demerio Houston hit the field for the first time since recently signing with the team.
The 28-year-old was charged with domestic violence in November after his wife alleged that he struck her in the face with a suitcase. Houston was also accused of having a history of domestic violence, though his wife told the issuing magistrate that she had not previously contacted authorities as Houston was the main source of income for her and their young children.
The charge against Houston was dropped in March following a review of the evidence, though he had already been released by the Calgary Stampeders the month prior. The product of Southern University remained a free agent until the Blue Bombers recently added him to the practice roster.
Monday marked the first time Houston spoke to the media since his offseason arrest and he was ready to address the situation.
“I knew (the scrutiny) was gonna happen, but I’m really not worried about it. I’m just preparing for my future, trying to move forward and take advantage of my second opportunity,” said Houston. “It feels great to be back, I’m just happy to get another opportunity and be back with the team that gave me my first opportunity.”
The Blue Bombers have a well-earned reputation for being a family-oriented and community-minded organization. Wives and children of players and coaches are ever-present at games and practices, and the team sponsors and hosts a wide variety of events designed to get kids and women more involved in football.
When asked if he’s worried about the public perception of Houston’s signing, head coach Mike O’Shea indicated that he cares about his team’s reputation but also wants to give people second chances.
“I would always be concerned about being in the community and making sure we’re good citizens,” he said. “In this organization, we deal with humans and we also deal with humans that make mistakes and work hard to be better.”
The veteran coach seemed confident about the signing, touting Houston’s prowess as a player, the fact that the charge against him was dropped, and the extent to which the league investigates matters relating to gender-based violence.
“The CFL does a damn good job of doing their investigations,” said O’Shea. “If our scouting department likes a guy and there’s been something in the past, we submit it to the league and then they say yay or nay. I think every team works with the league in terms of making sure that they protect the brand and all that other stuff, so as far as we’re concerned, everything was dropped and the league probably went further than that.”
When pressed, O’Shea admitted he doesn’t know “a bunch” about how the league carries out such investigations. He suggested that the league would look at police records and “try to obtain access to whatever they can get,” but he was clearly short on details. O’Shea also indicated the team didn’t conduct an investigation of its own outside of having a few conversations, saying he wasn’t sure they’d find anything more than the league did.
The Blue Bombers had a strong need at defensive back after Jamal Parker and Terrell Bonds suffered injuries, the latter of which is season-ending. Despite the club’s lack of depth at the position — they also brought back Russell Dandy, who had a stint on the practice roster in 2024 and attended training camp in May — O’Shea insisted that the team hasn’t sold its soul by repatriating Houston.
“Need will never trump integrity,” he said. “We had him here before, he’s been good for us. He’s been a good player for us. He’s done very well in this league, and he’s available.”
There’s no denying that Houston was a special player for the Blue Bombers. The native of Shelby, N.C. played three seasons with the team before departing for the Stampeders as a free agent in 2024. He helped Winnipeg win a Grey Cup in 2021 and was named All-CFL in 2023 when he made a league-best seven interceptions.
Daniel Wilkes, Houston’s public defender, told 3DownNation in March he expected the charge would be expunged from Houston’s record, though this has not yet occurred. Houston told the media on Monday that the charge is “on the verge of getting expunged.”
As for what he’s learned through this process, Houston believes he’s now a more reliable husband and father.
“Just be there for my family,” he said. “I had some requirements through the CFL that I had to go through and everything’s completed and done with.”
It’s unclear exactly what the process was for Houston to be approved to return to the CFL through the league’s gender-based violence policy. After initially terming the process as “nothing, really,” he opened up a little when pressed, saying it featured a months-long investigation that started while he was still a member of the Stampeders and concluded after he was released. He also said he did some counselling with a therapist.
It doesn’t appear as though Houston’s return to the CFL has any ongoing conditions as he indicated “everything’s clear.”
Defensive coordinator Jordan Younger is clearly pleased to have Houston back as his unit has allowed 292.2 passing yards per game this season, which ranks seventh in the CFL.
“He’s always been a really good guy, always been polite and respectful. We’ve never had any problems with him, and he’s been cleared of all the charges,” said Younger. “I’m happy to have him. We’ve been going through some injury situations, and to be able to pick up a DB that has that type of experience and made those type of plays — we’re very fortunate to have him.”
Houston did not practice with the top defence on Monday, instead playing boundary cornerback with the second-string unit. He admitted there’s a little rust for him to knock off but indicated he’s otherwise ready to play when called upon.
Two-time All-CFL receiver Dalton Schoen returned to practice on Monday, though he seems unlikely to play this week as he’s one matchup short of completing his stint on the six-game injured list. If he returns after missing this week’s game, he would make his return in the Labour Day Classic in Regina.
Peyton Logan, who signed with the Blue Bombers as a free agent in February, also appeared to be a full participant in practice on Monday. The versatile speedster is capable of contributing at running back, receiver, and returner and took reps returning kicks during practice. With rookie Trey Vaval now starting at boundary cornerback, Logan could take on some or all of the return duties this week.
The Blue Bombers (5-4) will visit the Montreal Alouettes (5-5) on Thursday, August 21 with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT.