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John Woods . THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive lineman Kydran Jenkins sacks Montreal Alouettes quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson during CFL action in Winnipeg last October.<\/p>\n
He certainly did. He had several pressures and managed to record his first career sack.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was just ready to play football, honestly,\u201d said Jenkins after Day 2 of rookie camp on Wednesday. \u201cI just wanted the opportunity and once I got that opportunity, I ran with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The experience left him wanting more. The following week when the Bombers fell to the Als in the East semifinal, he was back on the practice roster.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt definitely kind of teased me. I was ready to play more games after that,\u201d he said. \u201cI wanted to play the next game, but it definitely helped motivate me to train hard for the next season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next season has arrived and Jenkins has a chance to be an import rotational piece behind star pass rushers Willie Jefferson and Jake Ceresna.<\/p>\n
While he doesn\u2019t have the same pedigree as those vets, the 6-1, 275-pounder brings a unique level of athleticism to the position.<\/p>\n
It goes back to his days at Jefferson County High School in Louisville, Ga., when playing defence wasn\u2019t the only thing he excelled at.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was like 240 back then and I was kick returning. I actually returned two of them (for touchdowns),\u201d he said. \u201cI was a little faster than I am now. I was pretty big back then compared to a lot of my competition. I just outran them and was bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n
He broke out his last two years at Purdue registering 140 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks. But if he wanted to, he likely could\u2019ve been an NCAA athlete in a different sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I was an all-state goalie (in soccer). It was fun. One game I actually had 24 saves in a playoff game.\u201d<\/p>\n
YEAR 3 WILSON<\/p>\n
Quarterback Terry Wilson knows a promotion is at his fingertips.<\/p>\n
Entering Year 3 with the Bombers, the Oklahoma City native has a leg up on the trio of CFL newcomers \u2014 Taylor Elgersma, Bryce Perkins and Payton Thorne \u2014 who are all fighting for the No. 2 gig behind starter Zach Collaros.<\/p>\n
Wilson has spent the majority of his time as the third option behind Collaros and recently retired Chris Streveler.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel a lot better, definitely being in Year 3,\u201d said Wilson, 28. \u201cStudying the playbook feels a lot easier than it did years before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson made his first career start last season \u2014 the same game Jenkins made his debut in \u2014 and went 11-for-21 for 79 yards and an interception.<\/p>\n
It was a sloppy game all around with both sides having nothing at stake. The Bombers managed to prevail 19-10.<\/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\t\t\t \u201cI learned a lot. The most important thing is just being out there and getting live reps and seeing live bullets come at you,\u201d said Wilson. \u201cAnd you know, I saw how I reacted to things and the things I can get better on overall, like being more confident sometimes and just trusting what I see. But it was definitely fun to get out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite his limited action, he\u2019s still the most experienced option out of the group. With that said, Wilson could find himself on the bubble if he doesn\u2019t show some growth during the pre-season \u2014 starting with May 23 at Saskatchewan.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been battling since high school, man. I don\u2019t see it as a battle. Everybody is, of course, trying to compete, but you gotta make sure you\u2019re out there doing what you got to do to get the offence going,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cShoot, I give credit when someone throws a good ball. It is what it is, man. I try to uplift guys and be confident and be a good teammate.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/taylorallen<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Taylor Allen Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree\/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Taylor 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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Reporter
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