Winnipeg Blue Bomber Kyrie Wilson didn't have the easiest journey to end up in Winnipeg, but after seven years says it's home.
Seven years ago the Bombers linebacker wondered if his football days were coming to an end.
"I was with the [Oakland] Raiders in training camp for the whole camp and I got released," Wilson said. "One of the scout teams from Winnipeg saw me playing and they recruited me to come up here. I went through all pre-season and then actually got cut after the last pre-season game. Then, three weeks later, I came back and have been here ever since."
In those moments, trusting in God's plan was pivotal for Wilson. "At first, I'm not going to lie, I was like, this is it. I'll probably go start my career. Maybe go find something in criminology to do, because that's what I got my degree in."
Ultimately, he knew it wasn't the end. "Something in the back of my back of my head was just telling me, just keep the faith. And then like I said, a couple weeks later my agent called me and said the Bombers want you back."
Wilson says, "There's always a reason why you go through these ups and downs. To test you to grow you to help you, to help learn about certain things that you probably missed out on the last time."
Besides football, Wilson also makes videos on YouTube under the name Health Impactor.
"I try to help out kids, pretty much like a motivational speaker to help share my life stories," he said.
Despite not always being comfortable on camera, making the videos has pushed Wilson outside of his comfort zone. "Usually the stuff that you believe is your purpose, is something that you're probably fearing the most. So it started during COVID-19, I just took a leap of faith. It's like therapy, sharing life experience and helping people that might be going through the same thing."
For Wilson, keeping his faith a central part of his life starts first thing every morning. "Wake up and the first thing I do is pray to just get my mind focused on Him. I like to listen to gospel in the morning, something like a little bit of therapy, but also just get my mind right. So really just starting with the little things."
Being a part of the chapel, especially as a young player, has had an impact on Wilson's faith growth. "Drake Nevis used to play for the Bombers and we used to hang out a lot. I used to see how he carried himself and it made me want to do better and actually hold myself accountable. Being able to be open with one another, because in Chapel you talk, but then you start hearing other people's stories and you realize, we're not that much different from each other. It's refreshing knowing that you're not alone."
Having camaraderie between teammates has been helpful for him. "You've got people in the Chapel, on the team that you could talk to and be able to feel comfortable talking to somebody about it instead of just holding everything in."
Being a veteran on the Bombers brings younger players coming to Wilson, something he says, "It's a responsibility. But at the same time, it feels good that people are comfortable enough to come up and talk to me. It reassures me that I'm doing good that they're open and talk to me about whatever they might be going through."