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RUTH BONNEVILLE \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Dorian Singer made three catches for 59 yards and picked up 82 yards on three kickoff returns on Saturday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the opening pre-season tilt.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy journey is different from everybody else\u2019s, which I love,\u201d said Singer. \u201cI take pride in what I do because I know it hasn\u2019t been easy for me. The easiest way is to give up and I haven\u2019t given up. I keep taking those steps forward to elevate myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those steps included a strong showing in the Blue Bombers pre-season game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, making three catches for 59 yards and adding 82 yards on three kickoff returns.<\/p>\n
To suggest it hasn\u2019t been a straight line for Singer arriving in his first CFL camp is a massive understatement.<\/p>\n
Singer was a star player at Pinnacle and ended up playing two seasons with the University of Arizona Wildcats (where he had 66 catches, 1,105 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore), then entered the transfer portal and joined the University of Southern California Trojans, where the quarterback was Heisman Trophy hopeful Caleb Williams, who was the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest takeaway I got was that he can extend any play, so don\u2019t ever think the play is over with because he\u2019s going to escape the pocket and make a ridiculous throw,\u201d said Singer. \u201cSo, always be quarterback friendly. Making sure you know what the quarterback is going to do, so you can be aware of his decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Singer entered the transfer portal one more time, spending his final season with the University of Utah Utes, where he had 53 receptions for 702 yards and a touchdown.<\/p>\n
Although he was passed over in the 2025 NFL Draft, he was signed as a college free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars and joined the practice roster after a steady training camp where he turned heads as a returner.<\/p>\n
Singer, who is now 23, ended up getting released by the Jaguars prior to Week 1 of the NFL season, but the experience helped prepare him for this current chance to show what he can do in the three-down game with the Bombers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learned a lot and learned to be where my feet are,\u201d said Singer. \u201cI\u2019m a good receiver, I can run routes and catch the ball, but what can you do after that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Well, the early returns for Singer have been favourable as he\u2019s caught the attention of Blue Bombers head coach Mike O\u2019Shea.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a guy who came in and was trying to learn the CFL game and he worked hard at it \u2014 and it\u2019s paid dividends for him because the quarterbacks are finding him every single day,\u201d said O\u2019Shea. \u201cHe\u2019s walking the field, with the script in his hand, lining up, moving into the plays and getting that extra work in after. Generally speaking, he brings some other guys with him to do it. So, he\u2019s learning and teaching by learning and teaching at the same time. Then, he\u2019s obviously a skilled returner and a very good receiver, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what I notice is the amount of work he\u2019s doing when nobody is watching.\u201d<\/p>\n
By his own admission, Singer didn\u2019t know much about the CFL before signing a contract with the Bombers but his classroom work began well before arriving in Manitoba.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JOHN WOODS \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n Both Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (centre) and head coach Mike O\u2019Shea (left) have been impressed by receiver Dorian Singer\u2019s study of the three-down game.<\/p>\n \u201cI did a lot of YouTube study. I watched almost every single Bomber game from last year,\u201d said Singer. \u201cI looked up the rules that are different from the NFL. I just did a lot of research for three months before I arrived, so I could be kind of up to date. I\u2019m still learning as we go every day, learning new rules about the punt returns and the kickoffs and stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Not only has Singer been immersed in learning the playbook, he\u2019s keeping his eyes on the veteran receivers in camp to see what he might be able to add to his growing bag of tricks.<\/p>\n \u201cCertain moves that I haven\u2019t done in the past, where I think, \u2018Let me at least try it to see if I can incorporate that into my bag,\u2019\u201d said Singer, noting that Blue Bombers ace returner Trey Vaval has been offering helpful hints on special teams as well. \u201cBeing a student of the game, I can also be a teacher of the game. But being a student is what makes me a good teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n Another important thing Singer is in the process of doing is earning the trust of Bombers starting quarterback Zach Collaros.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a great athlete. They\u2019re all great athletes but he catches the ball effortlessly,\u201d said Collaros. \u201cHe runs good routes and he\u2019s been really able to apply what he\u2019s learned in the classroom on the field. There hasn\u2019t been a huge drop-off. Usually, you see guys drop off on Day 6, 7 or 8 but he\u2019s done a good job of really grasping it.<\/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 \u201cIt\u2019s great. There have been years where there\u2019s not one guy like that. But we have three or four this year. They all have really good attitudes, but three or four (receivers) have really stood out.\u201d<\/p>\n Collaros\u2019 words only reinforce how slim the margins are when it comes to trying to separate yourself from the pack and trying to nail down a roster spot.<\/p>\n But given what Singer has endured just to get to this point, it\u2019s no surprise to hear he\u2019s not putting any additional pressure on himself leading into Friday\u2019s final pre-season game against the B.C. Lions (7:30 p.m. kickoff).<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019m trying to secure a roster spot, but I have that in the back of my mind,\u201d said Singer. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to go out there, play football and be the best player I can be out there for the team, do what the team needs and show up every day with the same energy and big-play ability, to show my ability and what I can do on and off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/kenwiebe<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Ken Wiebe Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Ken 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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