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John Woods \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Blue Bombers\u2019 Chris Kolankowski<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Hometown: Etobicoke, Ont.<\/p>\n
Age: 33<\/p>\n
Position: Centre<\/p>\n
Height: 6-1<\/p>\n
Weight: 307 pounds<\/p>\n
Notable: The brain power of the Bombers\u2019 offensive line, which paved the way for Brady Oliveira\u2019s fourth-straight 1,000-yard rushing season<\/p>\n
Favourite pre-game food?<\/p>\n
I keep it simple. I have a big breakfast \u2014 not really picky on what it is \u2014 and a large smoothie that I make at home \u2014 strawberry, banana, blueberry, spinach, creatine, collagen, pineapple juice and coconut water. And then lunch, I\u2019ll just pick up Freshii on the way, and I have a ritual where I\u2019ll have like six bites, and then I\u2019m like, \u2018Okay, I\u2019m gonna save this for later,\u2019 put it in our mini fridge we have in the change room, I forget it there for two weeks and we smell it and then I throw it out.<\/p>\n
Go-to pre-game song?<\/p>\n
This Is How It Goes by Billy Talent.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s your most impressive physical ability (can be strength or athleticism)?<\/p>\n
I take a lot of pride in my squat \u2014 front squat, particularly. My body is just made for it. I can get 460, 470 (pounds). My goal is 500.<\/p>\n
Do you have a hidden talent?<\/p>\n
Sim racing. I\u2019m an assassin on the race track.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s one thing people might find surprising about you?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m a pretty big family man outside of football. Out here is one world, and I go home, and I got a daughter, and I got another daughter on the way. I\u2019m just a being a girl-dad outside of here.<\/p>\n
Cats or dogs?<\/p>\n
Dogs. That\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n
Favourite moment of your career?<\/p>\n
The \u201921 Grey Cup. Obviously, 2017 (with the Toronto Argonauts) was cool, but that was kind of a trajectory \u2014 got drafted, played, all that. But \u201921 was the year after I was out\u2026 just coming back and then being able to play for that and win, that was like, \u2018Holy s\u2014t.\u2019<\/p>\n
One thing you can\u2019t go on a road trip without?<\/p>\n
Me and Gabe (Wallace), we\u2019re roommates. We need a good movie. We need a TV in a hotel that you can AirPlay device, because when you don\u2019t have that AirPlay, you\u2019re both watching your own movie. Last road trip, we watched Armageddon.<\/p>\n
If you could play another position \u2014 and have the physical ability for it \u2014 what would it be?<\/p>\n
Running back. I can read the gaps. I think even at my physical ability, I can get four yards a carry \u2014 not taking away anything from Brady.<\/p>\n
What is the most exciting play in football?<\/p>\n
Wedge. Third-and-one wedge. What\u2019s more electric? Just close your eyes, head-first, can\u2019t lose. If you want big-on-big, football in it\u2019s purest form, it\u2019s wedge.<\/p>\n
At what age did you know you wanted to play pro football?<\/p>\n
Grade 10. I always played hockey more as a kid, but I started playing football in Grade 7 and eventually I liked hitting more than scoring goals. I didn\u2019t really commit with the work ethic until after high school, when I got to university.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tyson Philpot, Montreal Alouettes<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Graham Hughes \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES<\/p>\n Montreal Alouettes\u2019 Tyson Philpot (right)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Hometown: Delta, B.C.<\/p>\n Age: 25<\/p>\n Position: Receiver<\/p>\n Height: 5-11<\/p>\n Weight: 190 pounds<\/p>\n Notable: 2023 Grey Cup champion and Grey Cup Most Outstanding Player. Enjoyed a career year with the Montreal Alouettes, posting 61 receptions for 804 yards and five touchdowns.<\/p>\n Favourite pre-game food?<\/p>\n Definitely a pasta. There\u2019s a little pasta bar in Montreal called Lulu\u2019s, and they have the best five-minute pasta.<\/p>\n Go-to pre-game song?<\/p>\n Real Spill by Lil Baby. Me and Davis Alexander, we\u2019re both huge Lil Baby fans, so we both kind of show each other the phone when we\u2019re both listening to the song pre-game, because he\u2019s the same as me. Gotta listen to him.<\/p>\n What\u2019s your most impressive physical ability (can be strength or athleticism)?<\/p>\n It\u2019s got to be my speed. I haven\u2019t lost a lot of races. I\u2019m up there, one of the fastest guys for sure on every team.<\/p>\n Do you have a hidden talent?<\/p>\n My cooking ability. I\u2019m a big chef, I love to cook, and I\u2019ve taken some cooking classes. Maybe looking at me, you wouldn\u2019t know that.<\/p>\n What\u2019s one thing people might find surprising about you?<\/p>\n One of my first loves was hockey. Even though pops was playing football, I loved hockey.<\/p>\n Cats or dogs?<\/p>\n Dogs for sure.<\/p>\n Favourite moment of your career?<\/p>\n It\u2019s pretty generic, but probably the game-winning catch in the Grey Cup.<\/p>\n One thing you can\u2019t go on a road trip without?<\/p>\n Probably my Nintendo Switch. I\u2019m a big video game guy. Either Nintendo Switch or some kind of video game. I need something to keep my hands busy.<\/p>\n If you could play another position \u2014 and have the physical ability for it \u2014 what would it be?<\/p>\n A defensive end, for sure. If I get to choose my body type, I\u2019m being Shawn Oakman. That\u2019s my ideal, dream scenario.<\/p>\n What is the most exciting play in football?<\/p>\n A missed field goal return. I think those are some of the most electric plays, especially when you have a good return or two.<\/p>\n At what age did you know you wanted to play pro football?<\/p>\n Six years old.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Jevon Cottoy, B.C. Lions<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Darryl Dyck \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES<\/p>\n B.C. Lions\u2019 Jevon Cottoy (left)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Hometown: Calgary<\/p>\n Age: 28<\/p>\n Position: Receiver<\/p>\n Height: 6-6<\/p>\n Weight: 235 pounds?<\/p>\n Notable: Enjoyed a career year in 2025, hauling in 55 passes for 681 yards and six touchdowns as a trusted receiving threat in the Lions\u2019 offence.<\/p>\n Favourite pre-game food?<\/p>\n I have a ritual. I eat Subway before every single game \u2014 chicken rancher with a red Gatorade and two chocolate chip cookies \u2014 and fun fact, I don\u2019t eat the chocolate chip cookies until after we win the game. If we don\u2019t win the game, I throw it out.<\/p>\n Go-to pre-game song?<\/p>\n Faneto by Chief Keef.<\/p>\n What\u2019s your most impressive physical ability (can be strength or athleticism)?<\/p>\n Moving as well as I can at 250 pounds. On Wikipedia, it says I\u2019m 230.<\/p>\n Do you have a hidden talent?<\/p>\n I don\u2019t think so. I don\u2019t have any cool tricks up the sleeve.<\/p>\n What\u2019s one thing people might find surprising about you?<\/p>\n I was actually born in a third-world country. I got my Canadian citizenship from my dad, who came here first. I was born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, it\u2019s a small little island close to Barbados and Saint Lucia. It\u2019s the population of Red Deer. I moved here when I was eight.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t Cats or dogs?<\/p>\n Hate cats. Dogs all the way.<\/p>\n Favourite moment of your career?<\/p>\n That first touchdown I caught back in 2019 in Saskatchewan from Mike Rielly. I just remember how happy my dad was. Just battling all the injuries before \u2014 the ACLs, MCLs \u2014 and still making into the CFL and catching my first touchdown, I remember calling him after the game and he was just ecstatic for me having some success in the CFL.<\/p>\n One thing you can\u2019t go on a road trip without?<\/p>\n I have this crazy obsession of chocolate-covered peanuts, specifically the Joe\u2019s (Tasty Travels) brand from Walmart. So I would have to have at least four or five packs of those every single road trip.<\/p>\n If you could play another position \u2014 and have the physical ability for it \u2014 what would it be?<\/p>\n I\u2019d play quarterback. I played quarterback in high school. I would play quarterback and throw myself the ball every time.<\/p>\n What is the most exciting play in football?<\/p>\n A trick play on a kickoff return. I\u2019d say that\u2019s pretty exciting.<\/p>\n At what age did you know you wanted to play pro football?<\/p>\n You know when you go to (elementary school) and they ask, \u2018What do you want to be when you grow up?\u2019 I actually said a professional football player. So I would say nine or 10 years old.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Damien Alford, Calgary Stampeders<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Darryl Dyck \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES<\/p>\n Calgary Stampeders\u2019 Damien Alford (left)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Hometown: Montreal<\/p>\n Age: 24<\/p>\n Position: Receiver<\/p>\n Height: 6-6<\/p>\n Weight: 224 pounds<\/p>\n Notable: No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 CFL draft. Alford was dominant at times, recording 20 grabs for 407 yards and five touchdowns for the Stamps.<\/p>\n Favourite pre-game food?<\/p>\n Lately, it\u2019s been a sub. I\u2019ve been going to Subway and getting a little sub \u2014 whatever I\u2019m feeling that day.<\/p>\n Go-to pre-game song?<\/p>\n Honestly, I don\u2019t have a favourite pre-game song because I have a French playlist, so I listen to as many songs as I can during my warm-ups, and that\u2019s pretty much it.<\/p>\n What\u2019s your most impressive physical ability (can be strength or athleticism)?<\/p>\n My height and speed combination. I feel like, because I\u2019m tall, I get perceived as not fast, until they actually see my running.<\/p>\n Do you have a hidden talent?<\/p>\n Not really. I don\u2019t think I do.<\/p>\n What\u2019s one thing people might find surprising about you?<\/p>\n I\u2019m a goofy person. You may look at me and think that I\u2019m always serious and everything, but once you get to know me, I\u2019m actually very open-hearted and I laugh a lot.<\/p>\n Cats or dogs?<\/p>\n Dogs. One hundred per cent.<\/p>\n Favourite moment of your career?<\/p>\n I\u2019m gonna have to go back to college and say my game-winning catch versus Virginia Tech, just because of how everything played out, the adversity I had to get past to actually make that play.<\/p>\n One thing you can\u2019t go on a road trip without?<\/p>\n My moose stuffy. That just got brought up this year. I got it gifted to me, so I bring it with me every game.<\/p>\n If you could play another position \u2014 and have the physical ability for it \u2014 what would it be?<\/p>\n Probably quarterback. I tried it when I was younger. I played it for a year, but after that I was like, \u2018Yeah, this is not for me.\u2019<\/p>\n What is the most exciting play in football?<\/p>\n A game-winning touchdown. Or just a touchdown to seal the game.<\/p>\n At what age did you know you wanted to play pro football?<\/p>\n When I left home at 17 to go to Florida \u2014 that\u2019s when I realized that my life can change. That\u2019s when I fully committed myself to football, and I saw not the opportunity I had, but the talent I had, so I just went full force towards it.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Joshua Frey-Sam Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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