Willie Jefferson
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Willie Hebert Jefferson III (born January 31, 1991) is a
Canadian football Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...
defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
for the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fiel ...
of the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL). Jefferson is a 3-time Grey Cup champion, winning his first ring at the
103rd Grey Cup The 103rd Grey Cup was a Canadian football game that was played on November 29, 2015 between the East Division champion Ottawa Redblacks and the West Division champion Edmonton Eskimos to decide the Canadian Football League (CFL) championship f ...
with Edmonton in 2015. He then won the 107th and 108th Grey Cups when his Blue Bombers defeated the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...
33–12 in 2019, and then again in 2021, 33-25. He was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2019 with the Bombers, and is a three-time CFL and CFL West All-Star. Jefferson played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at
Stephen F. Austin University } Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) is a public university in Nacogdoches, Texas. It was founded as a teachers' college in 1923 and subsequennly renamed after one of Texas's founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. Its campus resides on part ...
, he has also been a member of the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
,
Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Commo ...
,
Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
, and
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
.


Early years

He attended Ozen High School. He was selected to the 4A all-state second-team in his senior year in high school. He was selected to the First-team All-District 20-4 and Port Arthur News Super Team while at high school.


College career

He started his career as a wide receiver at Baylor University but was kicked off of the team after he and teammate
Josh Gordon Joshua Caleb Gordon (born April 13, 1991) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He previously played for the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tennessee Titans. Nicknamed ...
were found asleep in Jefferson's car at a local Taco Bell with marijuana in the car. Jefferson, who was driving, was kicked off the team due to it being his second violation. He transferred to Stephen F Austin and was named 2011 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year in his Junior season. He led the Southland Conference in sacks with 16. He was selected to the Sports Network All-America second team, Phil Steele's Magazine All-America third team.


Professional career


Houston Texans

On April 27, 2013, he signed with the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
as an undrafted free agent following the
2013 NFL Draft The 2013 NFL Draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...
. The Texans released Jefferson, along with two others players, on October 21, 2013 for unspecified violations of team rules prior to a game in Kansas City.


Edmonton Eskimos

In 2014, Jefferson signed with the
Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Commo ...
of the
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
(CFL). Jefferson played for two seasons with the Eskimos, playing in 35 games, contributing 40 defensive tackles, 10 quarterback sacks, and three forced fumbles.


Washington Redskins

Jefferson signed a
futures contract In finance, a futures contract (sometimes called a futures) is a standardized legal contract to buy or sell something at a predetermined price for delivery at a specified time in the future, between parties not yet known to each other. The asset ...
with the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
on January 14, 2016. On August 27, 2016, Jefferson was waived by the Redskins.


Saskatchewan Roughriders

In September 2016, Jefferson returned to the CFL and signed with the
Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
rejoining his head coach from Edmonton. Jefferson was named a CFL All-Star in
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, and in
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
was nominated as the teams Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defensive Player after recording his first season with double digit sacks, and a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns. Jefferson was again named to the CFL All-Star Team alongside teammate
Charleston Hughes Charleston Hughes (born December 14, 1983) is a professional Canadian football defensive end for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the Calgary Stampeders as a street free agent in 2008 and won two ...
.


Winnipeg Blue Bombers

On February 12, 2019, it was announced that Jefferson had signed a one-year deal with the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fiel ...
through the 2019 season. Jefferson felt the Roughriders' offer did not match his market value; he was also courted by the Toronto Argonauts, but signed with the Blue Bombers for $210,000
CND The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is an organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nucle ...
. Jefferson's most notable performance came against Edmonton, where he recorded four tackles (two for a loss), three sacks, two forced fumbles, recovered another fumble, knocked down two passes, recovered an onside kick attempt, and scored a
rouge Rouge is the French word for "red" and may refer to: Compounds * Rouge (cosmetics), a cosmetic used to color the cheeks and emphasize the cheekbones * Jeweler's rouge or iron(III) oxide * Rouging, a form of corrosion applicable to stainless ...
when he kicked a fumble through the endzone. By season's end, Jefferson played in all 18 games and made 24 tackles and caught an interception; he also set new career highs for sacks and forced fumbles, with 12 and 6 respectively, he also set the CFL record for a defensive lineman with 16 pass knockdowns. Jefferson's strong play in the playoffs, together with his fellow defensive linemen
Jackson Jeffcoat Jackson Jeffcoat (born December 26, 1990) is a Canadian football defensive end for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Jeffcoat won the 107th and 108th Grey Cup when the Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats ...
,
Drake Nevis Drake M. Nevis (born May 8, 1989) is a professional Canadian football defensive tackle for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He won the 107th Grey Cup with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2019. Nevis was selected in the th ...
, and
Jake Thomas Jake Thomas (born January 30, 1990) is an American actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Matt McGuire, the title character's younger brother, in the Disney Channel show ''Lizzie McGuire'' (2001–04). In 2002, he won a Young Ar ...
saw the Bombers defence control the games against the
Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-old ...
and
Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
, to lead the Bombers to the
107th Grey Cup The 107th Grey Cup decided the champion of the 2019 season in the Canadian Football League (CFL). The match was played on November 24, 2019, between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta. Wi ...
. In the championship game Jefferson had two tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, with a dominant performance that saw the Bombers end their 29 year Grey Cup drought. After the game he said that "I just had to come out here and give it my all. I had my dad, my mom, my wife and my daughter. I couldn't come out here and play a mediocre game in front of my family." For the second consecutive year, Jefferson won the award for both Most Outstanding Player, and Defensive Player for his team, he ultimately won the
CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award The Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award is annually awarded to the best defensive player in the Canadian football League. The winner of the award is selected by members of the Football Reporters of Canada along with the head coaches in the CFL. ...
for his performance over the course of the
2019 CFL season The 2019 CFL season was the 66th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 62nd Canadian Football League season. The regular season began on June 13 and concluded with the playing of the 107th Grey Cup in Calgary on November ...
. After the season, Jefferson had a tryout with the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
which had gone well and he turned down other NFL tryouts. Prior to the next season, Jefferson signed a two year contract extension keeping him in Winnipeg through the 2021 season at approximately $265,000 a year. Unfortunately the 2020 CFL season was cancelled as a result of the pandemic but Jefferson would return to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for the 2021 season. Jefferson would help the Blue Bombers thrive in their title defending season. Winnipeg finished the season with the best record in the CFL and Jefferson and the Bombers defence led the league in yards and points allowed. He finished the season with seven sacks, 18 tackles, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions with one of those returned for a touchdown. Jefferson's stellar play meant that he was named a CFL All-Star for the fourth season in a row. The Bombers would defeat the Roughriders to go to the
108th Grey Cup The 108th Grey Cup decided the Canadian Football League (CFL) championship for the 2021 season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was cancelled and the start of the 2021 season was delayed, pushing the game to December 12, 2021. The ...
and defend their title. In the 2021 Grey Cup final game, Willie Jefferson and the Blue Bombers top rated defensive unit helped the team to their 12th Grey Cup title, and second in a row, defeating the hometown Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Overtime, 33 - 25. After the extra time win Jefferson said that "We’re behind enemy lines, fans on our backs, city against us and we had to come out here and show these guys who we are. If it had to go into overtime to do that, that’s where we did it. It was tense, but we just had to stick it out. I had no doubt at all." Jefferson continued his stellar play in the
2022 CFL season The 2022 CFL season is scheduled to be the 68th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it will be the 64th season of the Canadian Football League. The regular season is scheduled to begin on June 9, 2022, and end on October 29, 2022, w ...
, contributing with 33 defensive tackles, seven sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception and one touchdown. Jefferson was named a West-Division All-Star for the fifth consecutive season. The Bombers went to their third consecutive Grey Cup match but were defeated by the
Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...
. Following the season, on November 26, 2022, Jefferson and the Bombers agreed to a one-year contract extension.


Statistics


CFL


References


External links


Edmonton Eskimos bio



Houston Texans bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jefferson, Willie 1991 births Living people American football defensive ends American football linebackers American players of Canadian football Edmonton Elks players Houston Texans players Washington Redskins players Saskatchewan Roughriders players Sportspeople from Beaumont, Texas Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football players Buffalo Bills players Canadian football defensive linemen Players of American football from Texas Baylor Bears football players Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award winners