Henoc Muamba is the only linebacker in the last 18 years to win the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ most outstanding player award, but that may soon change.
Adam Bighill has played a major role in their recent turn of fortunes as he continues to make a strong case for the club’s MVP honour.
Between all his interceptions, sacks, and forced fumbles, where would the Bombers defence be if they didn’t add Adam Bighill in training camp?
“You think back and go boy, it’s hard to imagine our team without him on the field this year for sure,” General Manager Kyle Walters said.
The 30-year-old linebacker is coming off a three sack performance for the first time in his career and his game leading eight tackles now gives him 101 for the season to lead the entire CFL.
RELATED: Bombers’ Adam Bighill named top CFL performer
And that doesn’t even include the forced fumble in overtime that won them the game in Ottawa just a couple weeks ago.
“He’s had a huge impact on our team,” Walters said.
“He’s as advertised. He’s everything and more that he brings to this team from leadership, from an ability. I mean you just watch the way he flies around and makes plays. The turnaround in our defence this year I think a lot of it has to do with the presence that he brings.”
It seems the bigger the moment, the bigger the impact he’s made. And it’s not just the staggering numbers he’s been putting up.
“There was some timely plays that if he didn’t make that play there would have resulted in a pretty decent gain or a different outcome on those drives,” head coach Mike O’Shea said. “It wasn’t just the play or the type of play, it was the time that he did it.”
And his play has been infectious, lifting up the rest of the defence as well.
“I think what’s really important about Adam is that he’s making guys better around him too,” O’Shea said. “And he’s bringing guys a long with him.”
“You guys see all the sacks and the tackles but it’s the little things that you guys don’t see,” linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox said.
“Commanding the respect and attention that you want as your leader and he’s just been giving me so much tools and tips and stuff like that. I’m just happy he’s with us that’s for sure. He ain’t going nowhere else.”
But that’s not necessarily the case, as Bighill will be a free agent at the end of the season and will be the number one priority for Walters.
“As big as there is,” Walters said. “He’s right up at the top.”
With the race so tight in the West Division, the Bombers will need Bighill to be at his best for their final two games of the regular season.
But if he plays anything like he has the past few games you can already start inscribing his name on the Bombers’ MOP award and maybe the CFL’s most outstanding defensive player award as well.
WATCH: Raw Blue Bombers G.M. Kyle Walters
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