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<\/p>\nThey are a series of snapshots forever running through Trey Vaval\u2019s head like a photo gallery, many of them still so fresh and real to cause him to flinch in recollection.<\/p>\n
Yet, he knows now how those moments also hardened him, focussed him and continue to drive him.<\/p>\n
He vividly remembers when his mom first took ill and, after her heart condition led to her losing her job, how the family was forced from their house into his aunt\u2019s two-bedroom apartment with his mom, sister, aunt, two cousins, and three dogs.<\/p>\n
He remembers how \u2018home base\u2019 next became the laundry room at a family friend\u2019s house. And from there how they would occasionally bounce around from crashing in the storage container holding their possessions some nights to others where he would settle in at a teammate\u2019s house after football practice while his mom and sister slept in the car.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still remember that laundry room,\u201d began Vaval, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers gifted kick returner\/cornerback in a recent chat with bluebombers.com. \u201cI remember all of us \u2014 me, my sister, my mom and the two dogs we had at the time \u2014 all crammed into that space. I remember the mattress we all shared; all of us on that mattress.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were trash bags on one side, then the bed, and on the other side the washer and dryer. At one point it was so dirty down there I got athlete\u2019s foot and so I made sure I was showering at school every day. After that, we got kicked out and really had nowhere to go. We ended up staying up in a storage unit with all our stuff. Lots of nights we stayed there. I don\u2019t know if we were even allowed to stay in there, but we just did what we had to do.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cAll that, it messed with me mentally. That\u2019s where my mom was s-o-o-o strong.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike I said, though, that really messed with me. It really f\u2014-d with my head.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a Japanese proverb that proclaims, \u2018Fall down five times, get up six\u2019 and Vaval is living proof of the value in that fight. Certainly, lesser men would certainly have crumbled going through what he did \u2014 heck, he was still a teenager \u2014 and some stronger men, would have stumbled, too.<\/p>\n
The obstacles in the way would have been too many to overcome, after all, and the odds simply too long.<\/p>\n
Yet, Vaval has something else \u2014 call it drive and determination, call it perseverance, call it a simple iron will to succeed \u2014 but that conviction has helped lead him to where he is now on the eve of the Canadian Football League\u2019s Most Outstanding Player Awards Thursday night at Club Regent Casino as a finalist for top rookie and top special teams player.<\/p>\n
Vaval led the CFL with four kick-return touchdowns this season \u2014 two via kickoff returns, one on a punt and a fourth on a missed field goal. He led the league in punt return yardage and missed field goal return yardage and finished fifth in kickoff return yardage.<\/p>\n
His 391 yards on missed field goal returns established a new Blue Bombers record in that department and his 128-yard missed field goal return vs. Ottawa in September was the longest in club history. On top of that, in a home win over Toronto on August 1st he became the first player in team history to return a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the same game.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
If he\u2019s fortunate, he\u2019ll take to the stage Thursday night to make at least one acceptance speech, maybe two. And if you know the man at all, he\u2019ll be certain to thank all those who have helped him get to where he is today as not just a bourgeoning CFL star, but a man so aware and appreciative of his surroundings.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though it was tough, I tried not to get super-depressed throughout it,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve had to grow up fast, man. I was waking myself up with an alarm clock to go to school since I was in kindergarten. And as much of it would \u2018F\u2019 with my head sometimes, I tried to stay positive. I mean, things could have been worse. Yeah, we didn\u2019t have anywhere to stay, but there are people out there who can\u2019t walk, who can\u2019t see and even people in the hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cI appreciate everything, for sure. There are so many people who have it worse. I know there have been times where I have had less than others, but it\u2019s still a lot more than so many others have in the world. You learn to take the good out of everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, we had nowhere to stay, but I was still going to school, I still had football, and I still had my mom and my sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vaval\u2019s mom \u2014 Lori Grove \u2014 and his sister Tie\u2019re Spearman are on the phone from their home in Blue Springs, Missouri, one of the suburbs which make up Kansas City, and where the three of them had relocated from Colorado so they could be closer to family while Lori struggled to get healthy again.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s strength in their voices. And pride and respect, too, especially when speaking of Trey and the winding path he has taken to professional football.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been times where I don\u2019t know how he kept going and going \u2014 especially when I got sick with a heart condition and we ended up losing everything,\u201d began Lori. \u201cTrey was in high school, taking showers there and still playing football. He\u2019d stay with his buddies on the team a lot during football season and that\u2019s when my daughter and I would sleep in the car near a lake or we stayed at the storage unit sometimes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were sleeping in the car a few times, but it was warm and my daughter and I would go to the store and then have a little picnic out there and try to make the best of what we had. We weren\u2019t crying or suicidal about it, it was making the best of what we could. I knew Trey was at school and he was OK and I had my daughter with me, so I knew we were OK. He didn\u2019t miss any school; my daughter didn\u2019t miss any school.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were several times when I was in the hospital for days, but he was always so strong through all of it. Trey was like a grown man. He always stepped up. I always tell him he\u2019s my\u2026 I\u2019m starting to cry here\u2026 he\u2019s my son, but he\u2019s been my best friend through all this.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s not just been my son, he took care of my daughter, he took care of our home when we needed it,\u201d added Lori. \u201cThere\u2019s so much more than him than just football. He\u2019s the one that halfway pushed me to get healthy. If it wasn\u2019t for him, we probably would have been homeless our whole life.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a grinder. It\u2019s such a blessing for him to be where he is now because he\u2019s worked so hard for this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vaval had a variety of college offers in his final year at Blue Springs South High School and committed to Missouri Western State \u2014 a Division II football program about 75 minutes northwest of home \u2014 so he could remain close to his mom and his sister.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn Trey\u2019s last day of high school, I was at home in bed,\u201d Lori recalled. \u201cI was really sick and called my cardiologist and said I had just passed out. He said, \u2018You need to go to the hospital right now.\u2019 But I waited because Trey was doing his college signing that day and I didn\u2019t want to miss that for the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to Trey\u2019s signing and then I told him afterward what had happened and he said. \u2018Get in the car. Let\u2019s go to the hospital.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Three years later \u2014 and with Lori\u2019s health now improved courtesy a pacemaker \u2014 he transferred to Minnesota State. And as close as Vaval is to his mom, he and his younger sister Tie\u2019re also talk almost every day, their relationship forged when their mother was working as a nurse and he would take care of her at home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so proud of him,\u201d said Tie\u2019re. \u201cEverything happens for a reason. I wonder sometimes if the predicament we were in is part of what gave him the drive he has.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now that I\u2019m 20 I appreciate him even more because I\u2019ve seen so much fake in people. Trey is the purest thing I\u2019ve ever had in my life. I cherish every moment, every breath, every second I have with him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve all come a long way. Now that he\u2019s there and having success\u2026 that\u2019s all his doing. That\u2019s his hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vaval earned All-MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association) honours as return specialist in 2019 at Missouri Western, played in two games in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and shone again in 2021 before moving to Minnesota State, where he was twice named All-NSIC (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) First Team as a defensive back and return specialist.<\/p>\n
Yet, even through all this, more difficult times. Three of Vaval\u2019s friends \u2014 Colby Stephenson, Nikko Manning and Khalil Osborne \u2014 lost their lives due to gun violence when he was in high school and then college.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seemed like every time he came home we were burying one of his best friends,\u201d said Lori. \u201cAll of this made him stronger. That woke him up a lot, too, to see that every time he came home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Indeed, Vaval became driven even more and, ultimately, his success at Minnesota State earned him a look from the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 as an undrafted free agent. He lasted through most of training camp before his release. And, here again, he was tested.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter he came home from the Falcons, we didn\u2019t talk to him about it,\u201d his mom said. \u201cIt was the first time he hadn\u2019t played football since he was four and I knew the motors were running in his head. \u2018What am I going to do with my life? I\u2019m back at home with my mom and I don\u2019t have a job\u2026\u2019 All that stuff.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sat and watched him evolve, though, and then saw that drive in him again. He kept going to the gym every single day. He grinded hard the whole time he was home. He didn\u2019t give up on it. He was running all around the neighbourhood, he was at the gym, he was even training my older son. He just didn\u2019t give up and kept waiting on someone call him. I knew he was down and out and distraught, but we let him be. He was quiet, more than normal, and we knew why \u2014 he didn\u2019t know what was going on with his life and if he was ever going to play football again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen he got that call from Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vaval arrived in Winnipeg for Blue Bombers training camp hoping only to somehow wedge his foot in the door. It wasn\u2019t about starring at first, it was simply about making the roster in any capacity.<\/p>\n
CFL veteran Peyton Logan had been signed in free agency by the Blue Bombers to bring some life to the kick return game but was injured in training camp. That was the crease Vaval needed.<\/p>\n
The Toronto game in early August \u2014 he had two touchdowns before halftime \u2014 served as his welcome to the CFL moment.<\/p>\n
Yet afterward in the celebratory locker room he spoke of his struggles in handling the transition to pro football. How to fit in, how to meet expectations and honour teammates \u2014 all the pressures and stresses which come with being a pro.<\/p>\n
He had fumbled twice in earlier games \u2014 he would then spend extra time after practice with running backs coach Andre Bolduc on ball-security drills \u2014 and spoke of how kicker Sergio Castillo had messaged Bible verses and scripture to him every morning, vowing that he was soon going to bust a return for a touchdown.<\/p>\n
As an inspiration, he wrote \u20182004\u2019 on the tape across his nose as a reminder that he\u2019s been playing football since that year and to \u201crelax, take a deep breath and you\u2019re built for this moment. Trust your teammates and just be a Blue Bomber.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is a massive part of what makes Vaval tick. There\u2019s his desire to succeed, absolutely, but he\u2019s also driven to make all those around him \u2014 every single person \u2014 proud of what he does.<\/p>\n
Every rep in practice, every snap in a game, every interaction with those around him.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\u201cOur past, the way he grew up, me being a single mom, us struggling, being homeless, sleeping in cars\u2026 you\u2019d never know any of that unless you really knew us,\u201d Lori explained. \u201cBut it pushed him to be the person he is now. I\u2019m not saying this just because I\u2019m his mom, but I\u2019ve never heard a single person say of him that he\u2019s disrespectful or mouthy, a jackass, a jerk, or hateful. Every single person talks about how respectful he is, how he\u2019s been such a good kid and that I\u2019ve raised him right.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s special about how much he cares about others. I\u2019ve been around sports my whole life, too, and there are some real assholes out there, people that are \u2018I\u2019m all this and that.\u2019 Trey could care less about any of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to tell you something,\u201d she added. \u201cSince Trey went up there, he looks so happy. I see him laughing on TV and hugging his coach. I\u2019ve seen how he has been with his roommates and he loves those guys. He\u2019s loved where he\u2019s at and he loves it up there.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been happier up there than I\u2019ve seen him in a long, long time. He\u2019s working, he and his roommates did everything together. He loves the guys on that team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hundreds of players venture north to Canada for an opportunity like the one Vaval earned. It could be said not many are as aware of how fine that line is \u2014 not just to get that shot, but to then stick.<\/p>\n
Camps are short. There is the Canadian ratio to consider. You need to grab hold of any opportunity and squeeze. Vaval has done all of that, all while being aware of everyone who has played a role in this. His mom, who did absolutely everything she could to help. His sister, who would slip him a few dollars for gas money from her part-time job when she was a teenager.<\/p>\n
Next, a simple question which delivered a complex answer: what\u2019s driving Trey Vaval?<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to be the best for my teammates, man,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean Wade (Miller), the team president\u2026 he had us over to his house for Thanksgiving. I want to be the best for him. He didn\u2019t have to invite me over to his house and his family. That stuff, that gives me family vibes and if you\u2019re part of my family I don\u2019t want to let you down.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy teammates, my coaches, I don\u2019t want to let them down. My mom and my sister, I do everything for them, and I don\u2019t want to let them down. I want to make sure I\u2019m being my best for them. One day I\u2019d like to be able to take care of them as much as I can.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the trainers \u2014 I\u2019m cool with Al (Couture, head athletic therapist) \u2014 but I don\u2019t want to let him and the trainers down by f\u2014\u2013g up. Everyone in this organization, I don\u2019t want to make any of you feel foolish by something I do or don\u2019t do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI take in everything around me and it all drives me. I see Evan Holm with his wife and his daughter coming to our games\u2026 that\u2019s a beautiful thing to me and that makes me want to go harder, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vaval paused for a moment here and as he gathered his thoughts he raised his index finger in a hold-on-for-a-second gesture.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, man,\u201d he said, his face then breaking into a smile, \u201cI didn\u2019t know things could be this good. I\u2019m happy here and I\u2019m thankful.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"They are a series of snapshots forever running through Trey Vaval\u2019s head like a photo gallery, many of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":278554,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-278553","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cfl","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-canadian-football-league","11":"tag-canadianfootballleague","12":"tag-cfl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278553\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/278554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}