There’s a lot in common between Mike O’Shea, the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and future Hall of Fame linebacker Adam Bighill, who recently signed with the Calgary Stampeders.
The two men spent six seasons together in Winnipeg, during which time they won two Grey Cups and Bighill was twice named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player. They also played the same position well into their late-thirties.
O’Shea last suited up for the Toronto Argonauts at 38, finishing his career second all-time in CFL history with 1,151 defensive tackles. Though the longtime linebacker was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2017 — nine years after his last game as a player — he never officially filed his retirement papers.
Bighill, meanwhile, is set to turn 37 later this year coming off a torn ACL he suffered in last year’s Labour Day Classic. The five-foot-nine, 232-pound defender was still effective last season, recording 48 defensive tackles and one sack over 10 games, but wasn’t retained by the Blue Bombers once he hit free agency in February.
With the six-time All-CFL selection now a member of the Stampeders, O’Shea is pleased to see Bighill getting the opportunity to write a better final chapter.
“I’m excited for him. I’m sure nobody wants to end it on an injury — it happens too often to too many people,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “For him to work through that, he’s always had the determination. His work rate is second to none.
“It was no doubt in my mind that if he wanted to keep playing, which he obviously did, that he was gonna land somewhere and be an asset for sure. He’s as smart as they come, his resume speaks for itself. I just loved his work rate. Sometimes, you don’t get a really good feel for that until he’s in your building and you realize, ‘This guy does a lot in a day.'”
Bighill is still in the final stages of his recovery from ACL surgery, so it appears unlikely that he’ll be available when the Blue Bombers and Stampeders play later this week. However, with Calgary head coach Dave Dickenson saying Bighill’s timeline is “the sooner the better,” it seems like only a matter of time before he gets into the starting lineup.
In an odd scheduling quirk, the Stampeders will play Winnipeg three times over the next six weeks, giving Bighill plenty of chances to face his former team. If the veteran is unable to play this week, he’ll get opportunities to see his former team on Friday, July 18 at Princess Auto Stadium or Saturday, Aug. 9 at McMahon Stadium.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-0) will visit the Calgary Stampeders (2-1) on Thursday, July 3 with kickoff slated for 9:00 p.m. EDT. The weather forecast calls for a high of 28 degrees, clear skies, and minimal wind.
The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and on CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and 770 CHQR in Calgary.