Morris: Lawler zeroes in on legacy with Bombers

Jim Morris

CFL.ca

@jememorris

It was a lesson learned for Kenny Lawler.

After winning two Grey Cups and collecting over 1,600 yards in two seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the wide receiver from Pomona, CA believed he was worth more money than what the Bombers were willing to pay.

So, when the Edmonton Elks offered to make him the highest paid non-quarterback in the CFL last February, Lawler jumped at the deal.

Under Chris Jones, Edmonton’s new head coach and general manager, the Elks struggled to a 4-14 record. Lawler put up some decent numbers and was nominated as the Elks’ Most Outstanding Player for 2022 but played just 12 games before suffering a broken collarbone.

“I tell everybody I believe I’m the best receiver in the CFL,” Lawler explained from Hamilton this past week while doing some promotional work for the league. “Where I’m at in my career I’ve got to get paid.

“I got paid, but was it worth it? I look back. I’m the most competitive person you’ll ever meet. I don’t really think it was worth it.”

On the first day of CFL free agency this year Lawler returned to Winnipeg, agreeing to a two-year deal.

“I feel exactly this is where I belong,” said the 28-year-old. “It’s where I started, where I gained respect as a player, where I accomplished winning two championships.

“It’s a special place when we’re talking about football. The culture is unbelievable. I don’t have to question anybody’s motives in the locker room. The coaching staff is great. It was just overall the best fit. It wasn’t really a hard decision to make.”

The year away from Winnipeg helped Lawler realize money is important but it isn’t always the best measuring stick of a career.

“Getting paid is cool, you know what I mean?” he said. “But I truly believe in the CFL what you’re really chasing is legacy. You’re chasing being that Ring of Honour guy. You’re chasing being in the CFL (Canadian Football) Hall of Fame.

“I really believe how you accomplish that is sticking with a group of guys going all out. That’s what we’ve done in Winnipeg. We went all out, won championships. The legacy for me started in Winnipeg. It was cool to be able to get a pay cheque in Edmonton, but now coming back to Winnipeg, it’s the legacy of the team. People are going to remember me for suiting up for the Blue and Gold.”

Lawler knew when he signed with Edmonton it was a rebuilding season for the team. What he didn’t expect was a locker room that would experience a tremendous amount of in-season turnover. That made chemistry a hurdle throughout the year.

The six-foot-three, 197-pound Lawler was a CFL All-Star in 2021 after making 64 catches for 1,014 yards and six touchdowns with the Bombers. He was brought to Edmonton to produce on a team with inexperienced quarterbacks and a constantly rotating roster.

“I felt like the coaches placed a big role on me,” he said. “Just trying to go out there and doing everything. Trying to catch the ball, block, score, get first downs, extend drives.

“With a lot more opportunities there a lot more reps. Sometimes you get injured and that’s what happened to me.”

Lawler broke his collarbone making a 33-yard catch Oct. 1 in a 25-18 loss to the Montreal Alouettes. He required surgery and didn’t begin working out again until January.

Despite missing six games Lawler was Edmonton’s leading receiver with 58 catches for 894 yards and five touchdowns and was named a West Division All-Star. His 199 yards after the catch marked a career high.

While wins were rare for Lawler and the Elks in 2022, the star receiver said he learned a lot in his time in Green and Gold (Thomas Skrlj/CFL.ca)

While things didn’t go how he wanted, Lawler learned from his experience in Edmonton.

“Going forward, I think it made me stronger altogether,” he said. “Just being in Edmonton for a year, having to deal with a lot of things: injuries, coaches, players, it just made me a better player. A better leader, just a better man all around.”

Returning to the Bombers has reunited Lawler with quarterback Zach Collaros, the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player the last two seasons. Collaros has the pedigree and experience Edmonton’s quarterbacks lacked.

The Bombers also will have a receiving corps that includes Dalton Schoen, the CFL’s leading receiver and top rookie last year, along with Nic Demski, Rasheed Bailey, and Drew Wolitarsky.

“I think this year is going to be scary,” said Lawler, “The experience we have through every position. The team continuity we have. We have guys that know each other, guys who play for each other.”

The Bombers are also still feeling the sting from last year’s 24-23 upset loss to the Toronto Argonauts in the Grey Cup.

“The guys in Winnipeg really believe this is unfinished business,” said Lawler. “Being a play away from winning that game, it sticks with you.

“I felt that loss and I wasn’t even there. It sucks that it happened but it’s a good thing because now the fire is burning under us. It’s just raging now.”

Lawler isn’t returning to Winnipeg to just be a passenger on the bus. He wants to help drive the team’s success.

“I want to go out and prove to everyone that Kenny Lawler is still a winner,” he said. “At the end of the day, the only thing that matters to me is winning.

“I always feel like I have something to prove. That’s what keeps me going as a football player, always trying to find to find a way to get better, how to gain an edge. Having that chip on my shoulder, having that grit.”

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