Still Hungry: Oliveira just getting started in building own legacy

CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO — If you think 2,000 total yards and a Most Outstanding Canadian award are enough for Brady Oliveira, you are wrong.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back is hungry for more as he enters the 2024 season with a new contract and a never-ending fire that typically translates to yards and touchdowns.

Oliveira sets his goals as high as he can, then goes to work on making them become a reality.

“There’s a lot that I want to prove, you know, I want to go down as the best Bomber,” said Oliveira in an appearance in this week’s edition of The Waggle Podcast. “I want to be the best Bomber in history and continue to solidify myself as one of the greats in this league. And to do that, I’m just getting started.”

Reaching highs like that requires dedication above what would be considered normal for a professional player. There is no off-season if you want to be the best, says Oliveira.

“I’ve been like that ever since I started this game,” said the All-Star running back. “Living in the gym and putting yourself through extreme measures when it comes to off-season training and putting yourself in very uncomfortable situations.

“Putting yourself under a lot of weight, putting yourself in a very uncomfortable situation and going down and trying to get back up. Making sure that you get back up and it’s a grind, it’s a struggle. That prepares you to when you get into a season and it’s hard times, to go back to the work that you put into, and to know that you’re confident and ready to go.”

While awards and numbers are important, Oliveira knows that at the end of the day it’s all about winning championships.

“I said it before it’s winning Grey Cups – multiple Grey Cups – to the city and and solidifying myself as one of the best players to play in this great league.”

Oliveira has almost 3,000 career rushing yards with 15 majors scored on the ground, while adding almost 1,000 yards and five more scores catching passes, helping the Bombers reach the Grey Cup every year since he joined the team.

The running back knows that there’s a lot of work to be done to join the likes of wide receiver Milt Stegall and running back Andrew Harris, to name a few.

“You have to put Milt Stegall up there,” said Oliveira about former Blue Bombers greats. “(Has a) street named after him. That is incredible.

“A guy that comes to mind is always going to be Andrew Harris. He paved the way for many young Canadians like myself at that position and not even at the position. Forget the passport, that guy was a baller. Canadian or not a Canadian, what he was able to accomplish for the organization. I want to do that, but more, so I have a long way to go. But I’m ready, I’m hungry. I’m motivated. And I think sky’s the limit for myself.”

The Blue Bombers have been a force to be reckoned with in the West Division over the last four seasons. Winnipeg won four straight Western Finals on their way to two Grey Cup wins in 2019 and 2021, finishing just short of the ultimate goal in 2022 and 2023.

A reason for such success is the preparation that players like Oliveira and teammate Kenny Lawler go through when nobody is looking.

“Preparation is making sure your body is right,” said Lawler to Donnovan Bennett and Henoc Muamba on the Waggle Podcast. “I believe camp is harder than the season. The stuff that we do in the CFL is crazy during camp. Four-hour days, back to back practices, power practices, which is what we call them. And to go in there, you have to have your body, mind, soul all ready because it’s a grind.”

It’s not easy to retain that level of preparation over multiple seasons, especially with all the turnover that rosters go through year after year.

Having the right group of veterans like Lawler and Oliveira leading the way help sets the tone for new players to adhere to a winning culture, but it’s also about having the right people at the top.

“Not only do I play for my teammates, but I go out there lay it on the line for Coach O’Shea,” said Oliveira. “Because of the guy that he is and how much respect that all of us have for him in that locker room.”

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