Photo: Cameron Bartlett/Winnipeg Blue Bombers
On the first day of training camp, everyone is looking for a way to stand out.
A good way to do that is by knocking a future Hall of Famer on his butt.
This is exactly what occurred during the first day of Winnipeg Blue Bombers training camp at Princess Auto Stadium when De’Shaan Dixon was matched up against Stanley Bryant in the one-on-ones.
The 40-year-old dropped into his usual pass set at left tackle when Dixon exploded from his stance, thrust an arm forward, and knocked the veteran blocker onto his caboose.
“It was pretty good,” Dixon told 3DownNation with a sheepish laugh after practice. “He flashed hands. I just one-arm stabbed, working technique, nothing too fancy. There’s no beef or anything like that. He got me last year, so it was not payback, per se, just me getting better.”
Head coach Mike O’Shea brought up Dixon’s name during rookie camp when asked about the position battle at defensive end, saying “he’s got something” to his game.
The native of Chesapeake, Va. joined Winnipeg’s practice roster last October, giving them a preview of what he could bring to the table in 2026. He then signed back with the team following their elimination from the playoffs.
Dixon is no stranger to professional football, having spent three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted NFL free agent. His tenure with the team ended unceremoniously as he tore his ACL during training camp in 2024, which landed him on injured reserve.
The six-foot-four, 260-pound defender last dressed for a regular-season game on October 30, 2022.
“I haven’t been part of a team in a very long time, so making the team is not only big for me, but for my family,” he said. “It proves to myself that I still got it, I still got juice, I still got something to prove out here. I think that’s the biggest thing for me.”
Dixon has a five-year-old daughter and a six-month-old son at home in Virginia. He found himself thinking about his kids after practice on Sunday.
“I have a lot to prove not just to myself, but to my family. Just showing that I’m doing my best out here, I’m doing my best for their futures. I get a little emotional just thinking about it. It just means a lot being out here, it really does.”
The Blue Bombers didn’t retain James Vaughters in free agency and don’t have a veteran replacement on the roster.
Matt Jaworski, who started last year’s regular-season finale opposite Willie Jefferson, was recently moved to the retired list, leaving players like Dixon, Kydran Jenkins, Eric Black, Antoineo Harris, and David Reese to compete for the job.
If Dixon keeps winning reps against the team’s top blockers, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he won the starting job out of training camp.
“Whenever I make a play on film, it’s good. Film doesn’t lie. Like I said, it’s just working technique, what I worked on in the offseason, putting it on the field. It’s showing good results,” he said.
“For me, it’s just showing up every day, getting one percent better every day, getting the chemistry down with the team. No matter who I’m in with (in drills), it doesn’t really matter. It’s just making sure you’ve got the plays right, recognizing what the offence is doing, tendencies, all that stuff.”
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers opened training camp on May 10. Winnipeg will play its first preseason game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, May 23 and second preseason game against the B.C. Lions on Friday, May 29. Final roster cuts are due on Saturday, May 30, after which the team will play its first regular-season game against the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, June 5.
Winnipeg recently selected Wake Forest defensive lineman Nuer Gatkuoth with their first-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, adding to the club’s pass rush. The team’s other major offseason additions include receiver Tim White, offensive lineman Jarell Broxton, and defensive lineman Jake Ceresna.
In 2025, the Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings with a 10-8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as the crossover team before losing the East Semi-Final to the Montreal Alouettes.
