He first joined the CFL when he became a member of the Edmonton Eskimos late in 2010 and now, Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols is going into his eighth CFL season.
This spring marks the football player’s seventh CFL training camp and for the first time since his days as an Eastern Washington Eagle, Nichols came to training camp knowing he was going to be the starter.
“I get to work with the number-one guys every day and build that relationship with them,” said the 30 year old from Redding, Calif. who also signed his first big contract this off-season after leading the Bombers from a terrible 1-4 start to an 11-7 finish that included a playoff spot. Nichols was named the starting QB in Week 6 and the Bombers then reeled off seven straight wins to save their season and probably a few jobs in Bombers management.
“I have always prepared myself to start, as cliché as that sounds,” Nichols said Wednesday. “I feel that I have always put in the work whether I was three or four on the depth chart or two on the depth chart.”
Nichols’ performance last season came at the right time. About a month before he was to be a free agent, he agreed to a three-year deal with the Bombers. The deal is believed to be in the $400,000 per season range. More money means more scrutiny and higher expectations, but Nichols won’t let that bother him.
“I put enough pressure on myself,” he said. “Outside pressures don’t mean anything to me. I am definitely my hardest critic. I’ve worked really hard this off season to make sure I’m ready to go.”
Nichols will be trying to beat his old club on Thursday night when the Bombers host the Eskimos in the pre-season finale for both teams, but while he wants to beat Edmonton, that doesn’t mean he has any hard feelings for the city he spent five years in.
“It does feel like home to me still. I love it here (Winnipeg), I love this city and this is my home now, but every time I go back to Edmonton, it feels natural after being there for five years. I will always have a place in my heart for Edmonton. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my time in Edmonton.”
Where he is is at the top of the depth chart for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at quarterback.
The Eskimos play in Winnipeg on Thursday night in the final pre-season game for both clubs. Live coverage of the game on 630 CHED begins at 5 p.m. with the kickoff at 6:30 p.m.
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