The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed a pair of American players for the 2023 season, adding running back Ta’Zhawn Henry and offensive lineman Kelvin Ateman Jr on Friday.
Henry began his collegiate career at Texas Tech (2018-19) before transferring to the University of Houston (2021-22). In 42 games between the two schools, he rushed 360 times for 1,564 yards, caught 85 passes for 634 yards, and added 23 all-purpose touchdowns. He also amassed 429 yards on 20 kickoff returns.
The five-foot-six, 170-pound scatback led the Red Raiders in rushing attempts and touchdowns as a freshman and was the school’s all-purpose yards per game leader as a sophomore. In his senior year with the Cougars, Henry produced 359 yards on the ground and 246 through the air, finishing with the second-highest all-purpose yards on the team despite missing four games.
Ateman Jr. spent six years with the University of Toledo but played just 15 games over his first five seasons, serving mostly as a reserve. The six-foot-four, 311-pound blocker finally cracked the lineup as a senior in 2022, starting 10 games at left tackle. He was a critical piece of a Rockets team that went 9-5 and won the Mid-American Conference Championship, before beating Liberty in the Boca Raton Bowl.
