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Published Oct 29, 2025 • 4 minute read
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Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Tony Jones. Photo by Kevin King /Winnipeg SunArticle content
It’s a cause for celebration and, depending on how you look at it, a cause for alarm, all at the same time.
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The CFL unveiled its West Division all-stars on Wednesday and four members of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers made the grade.
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Raise a glass to reliable receiver Nic Demski, electrifying rookie kick returner Trey Vaval, relentless linebacker Tony Jones, and shut-down defensive back Evan Holm.
Trouble is that glass is half-empty compared to previous years.
The Bombers are usually closer to double digits on this day.
At their peak, in 2021, they placed a whopping 15 players on the West team, followed by nine the next year, 11 in 2023, and seven last year.
A sign of how far this team has fallen as it prepares to hit the road for Saturday’s East semifinal?
“It doesn’t really matter,” head coach Mike O’Shea said. “I don’t pay attention to that stuff. We love our players. Every team likes their own guys, and however the votes work it doesn’t really matter.”
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All-star voting is usually a product of a team’s record, and this year is no different, with first-place Saskatchewan leading the way with 10.
Calgary placed seven, B.C. six and last-place Edmonton came up empty.
None of this will mean a thing when the coins are tossed and the teams kick off the playoffs – just ask Jones, the middle linebacker who amassed 102 tackles this season.
“I’m super blessed and thankful for the accolade,” the 30-year-old said. “But at the end of the day I want to come home with the Cup. I’ve worked my tail off to get to where I am today. Yeah, it’s a goal to become a CFL all-star. But the main goal is the main goal. The job’s not done.”
While the nod for Vaval was a no-brainer and those for Demski (his fifth in a row) and Holm (his second straight) no surprise, either, Jones getting his first all-star recognition signals a validation of sorts.
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The big question for Jones coming into the season was if he could at least partly fill the shoes of the departed Adam Bighill, the future Hall of Famer who left such an imprint in his six seasons in Winnipeg.
Safe to say that fit is fairly snug.
“You hear about those names when you first come into the league,” Jones said. “He was a guy that was doing everything right and just playing relentless. I mirrored what he had going and just put it into my game, to where I can make myself the best fit. I just show up every day ready to work … and let the chips unfold.”
How about these chips: Three quarterback sacks, a pair of interceptions, two knockdowns, a fumble recovery and four tackles for losses to go with his 102 tackles.
“He is a relentless chaser of the football,” head coach Mike O’Shea said of Jones. “He is after it all the time. Not everybody has that.”
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When defensive coordinator Jordan Younger was asked about Jones earlier this week, his face broke into a smile you don’t always see on a coach when they’re at work.
“The first thing I think about when it comes to Tony Jones is in a game where everybody plays hard, his effort stands out, above and beyond everybody else,” is how Younger put it.
Jones took that in on Wednesday and paid the compliment right back.
“He gave me the shot to come here and, I wouldn’t say replace, but be the next guy up, to be the guy in the middle,” he said. “All thanks goes to him … with him by my side, no matter what, I can go talk to him about anything.”
As for where his relentless approach comes from, Jones points back to the low points of his career.
The game he so dearly loves hasn’t always loved him back. But each setback only hardened his resolve to prove himself as a pro.
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“Through all the cuts, through all the trials and tribulations along the process … you can’t take these days for granted,” the Florida native said. “You can’t play football forever. This being my (first) full go as a linebacker in this league, it took me three and half years to get to where I am. All the cuts just put a fire under me. It’s always in the back of your head.”
The sympathy Jones felt from family and friends through each setback will turn to pride and joy at his first all-star selection.
He got the news from teammate Redha Kramdi right after practice on Wednesday, so the news hadn’t trickled down to Florida, yet.
No doubt he’d hear from his mentor, Bighill, too, now with Calgary and preparing for his own playoff game.
On Thursday and Friday, it’ll be back to the relentless pursuit excellence. And on Saturday in Montreal, the ball, or whoever is carrying it.
“I just want to showcase the love I have for this game,” Jones said. “Basically, I’ll do anything to be on the field.”
For all the drop-offs the Bombers have experienced this season, play at middle linebacker isn’t one of them.
Their attempt to stay where they were as a team begins on Saturday.
paul.friesen@kleinmedia.ca
X: @friesensunmedia
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