Bombers legend to participate in club’s rookie camp on Wednesday

One of the greatest players in Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ history will return to the team on Wednesday and take part in the first day of rookie camp.

Milt Stegall, 54, is in remarkable shape and has been hinting all offseason that he wanted to earn a one-day invitation to a CFL training camp and the Blue Bombers indulged.

He’s expected to take part in some drills and attend team meetings on Wednesday as the team holds its first session of the year at the Winnipeg Soccer Federation outdoor field at the University of Manitoba. About 65 players are expected to take part in rookie camp, along with all of the team’s quarterbacks, including Zach Collaros and Chris Streveler.

“It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for years,” Stegall said in a recent post on X, visibly sweating after concluding a workout.

“Will I be able to compete with these young bucks? Probably not. I’m honest with myself. I’m 54 years old. I haven’t played in a game since 2008, but this has always been a bucket list item of mine, so I want to make it happen. Let’s make it happen.

Stegall spent his entire 14-season CFL career (199 games) with the Bombers and established many club receiving records before retiring in 2008.

He still holds the CFL mark for career touchdowns (147) and touchdowns in a season (23), and retired as the league’s all-time leader in receiving yards (15,153), a record that was later broken by Geroy Simon.

Stegall was a nine-time CFL all-star, was named the CFL’s most outstanding player in 2002, was inducted into the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame in 2009, and entered the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2012. He was also added to the Blue Bombers Ring of Honour in 2016.

He as also inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.