Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback, receiver have deep roots off the field

Winnipeg Blue Bombers wide receiver Drew Wolitarsky caught his first professional touchdown pass from a familiar face last Thursday.

Chris Streveler found Wolitarsky open in the end zone in the third quarter during their opening night loss to the Edmonton Eskimos at Investors Group Field.

The two CFL newcomers have a history together.

“He’s a good friend of mine, we actually lived together for a while in this little house next to a gas station,” Wolitarsky said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "He's a good friend of mine, we actually lived together for a while in this little house next to a gas station," Wolitarsky said.

That was at the University of Minnesota, where the two were college teammates for three seasons.

“It is cool, we were talking about it, how we were kind of living with each other, living in the dorms, eating at this cafeteria, the U of M is called the U of M here,” Wolitarsky said.

Wolitarsky played in five games for the blue and gold last year and figures to play a more prominent role in the Blue Bombers offence this season, while Streveler made his first professional appearance last Thursday.

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Streveler said his old college buddy has morphed into a leader in his short time in Winnipeg and thinks he’s capable of taking the next step this season.

“The sky’s the limit for him up here. He continues to get better every single week, every single day, obviously him and I have a little bit of chemistry so it’s been really fun getting to work with him,” Streveler said.

Wolitarsky, 23, also sees leadership qualities in his quarterback.

“It’s just fun for him (Streveler) to be up here and to lead a team the way he does. I think it’s helped me out, I think it’s helped him out, just bringing the comfort level to us playing here,” Wolitarsky said.

The California native also remembered an odd coincidence that he hopes bodes well for the duo as they continue their professional careers.

“Our first completion was for seven yards, just like it was at the U of M, so it’s just really weird. It’s fun though, we’re having a good time,” Wolitarsky said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Our first completion was for seven yards, just like it was at the U of M, so it's just really weird. It's fun though, we're having a good time," Wolitarsky said.

The Blue Bombers will visit Montreal this Friday in search of their first win of the 2018 season.

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