Lucky Whitehead’s most important entrance into BC Place will also be his most boring.
The 32-year-old receiver became a fan favourite during his three seasons with the B.C. Lions for his weird and wacky game-day entrances. Now a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, he won’t be getting the thumbs up from head coach Mike O’Shea to continue a Vancouver tradition in the Grey Cup.
“That’s a lot of pressure,” the 54-year-old bench boss laughed when asked to make a ruling by 3DownNation on Wednesday, rising from his chair and leaning into the mic for effect.
“It’s easy. The answer is no. No! That’s the official verdict.”
Whitehead compiled 196 catches for 2,671 yards and 10 touchdowns as a Lion, enjoying the best seasons of his career while playing in Vancouver. However, his reputation with fans exceeded even that impressive production due to his weekly exploits, which were shared by the team on social media.
During his tenure, he did everything from pedalling a child’s Big Wheel trike into the locker room to hijacking an ice cream cart and driving it around Stanley Park seawall en route to the game. Before a matchup with the Riders, he pushed a shopping cart full of watermelons into the building. For one country-themed night, he saddled up a horse and rode it across the field.
The Lions did not re-sign Whitehead following the 2023 season, bringing an end to the viral antics. After joining the Bombers mid-season, he knew there would be stricter expectations and opted not to do an entrance in his return to B.C. on August 2.
“It’s a different ship being ran around here,” Whitehead chuckled. “It’s funny because when I came back to B.C. to play against them in B.C., (O’Shea) came into the locker room and said, ‘Hey, what’d you come in on?’ I was like, ‘I didn’t do anything.’ He was like, ‘I stayed away from you for a reason.'”
The decision seemed to pay off as Whitehead caught six passes for 56 yards and a touchdown — his best game and only score of the year. The Bombers also won in BC Place, a feat they hope to replicate this week.
The Manassas, Va. native is not expected to see much action on offence in the Grey Cup but will serve as the Bombers’ primary returner. He is still likely to be the most popular player in action, with local fans switching their allegiances to Winnipeg in support of the former Leo.
“I’ve gotten some messages from some B.C. fans like ‘I’m rooting for you’ and ‘I’ll be at the game,'” he said. “Obviously, I know it’s gonna be a lot of B.C. fans in the stands that’s gonna show love. It’s gonna be emotional, but it’s good emotions, right? Happy.”
While the ultra-reserved O’Shea might not see the benefit in Whitehead’s lavish arrivals, he knows exactly why people in Vancouver were drawn to him.
“He has that persona in Winnipeg too. They love him. The fans love him,” the coach said. “He absolutely is so recognizable and such a fan favourite in our stadium too, without needing any entrance.”
With so many memories preceding it, walking normally through the bowels of BC Place and into the home locker room will still feel odd for Whitehead. Having won the Grey Cup during his first CFL season with Winnipeg back in 2019, he understands the seriousness of the moment but won’t rule out something special on game day if he can get O’Shea onside.
“I’ll think about it but at the same time, I don’t want to be a distraction to the guys. It’s young guys that haven’t seen it before, I don’t want them to think, ‘Oh, we can be a goof around,'” he said.
“If you know about it, you know about it, and if I can do something subtle and nice, I might try something.”
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts will meet in the 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 6:00 p.m. EST.
