HAMILTON — A premature end to a stellar rookie campaign is fuelling Shemar Bridges' preparation for the 2025 CFL season.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats' receiver was the East Division's top rookie in 2024 with 83 catches -- a club-record for a first-year player -- for 933 yards and four touchdowns.
But it could have been much more. Bridges missed the final three games with a quad injury, ending his pursuit of Curtis Mayfield's league record for most regular-season receptions by a rookie (102).
"I definitely feel like if I didn't get hurt I could've done some more things and helped the team," Bridges said. "Being able to go to the (CFL) awards show and watch the Grey Cup myself, it fuelled me that I didn't want to be in the stands, I want to be on the field.
"It gave me that hunger and I just wanted to work as hard as I can to possibly come ready to help the team."
The six-foot-four, 208-pound Bridges has looked good early in Hamilton's training camp. But head coach Scott Milanovich is keeping an eye on Bridges, and plans to save the receiver from himself and give him days off as the Ticats prepare for the upcoming season.
Especially after Bridges pushed to continued playing last season after suffering his injury.
"You love those kind of guys, right, they want to be out there and they're willing to play with pain," Milanovich said. "The concern with guys coming off injury is just how much pounding can they take on it?
"We're going to keep a close eye on him and maybe try to give him a vet day here and there just to make sure we're not pushing him too hard. The tempo out there is fast, there's a lot of running … we've got to hold the, back sometimes."
Bridges got his first "vet day" Wednesday.
But if the '24 season taught Bridges anything, it was to take everything -- successes and struggles -- in stride.
"It's a long season so you can have your real high weeks as an individual and as a team and you can also have lower weeks," he said. "You've got to keep the journey even-keeled … you can't get too high or too low, just enjoy the process."
Bridges said he had a little trouble last season keeping weight on so he reported to camp Sunday a few pounds heavier.
"Not a lot, just enough to give me some strength to be able to endure hits and try to block better," he said.
Hamilton (7-11) missed the CFL playoffs last season despite having the league's top-ranked offence. The Ticats were first overall in net offence (406.1 yards/game), passing yards (332.1) and passing TDs (35) and second in offensive points (26.5).
Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was the CFL leader in passing yards (5,451) and touchdowns (32) but also interceptions (18). Bridges tied Canadian Kiondre Smith for third among Ticats receivers (933 yards) behind Tim White (74 catches, 1,164 yards, eight TDs) and current Edmonton Elk Steven Dunbar Jr (75 catches, 1,159 yards, five TDs).
And the unit was bolstered by the off-season signing of veterans Kenny Lawler and Drew Wolitarsky, who both won two Grey Cups with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
"We can be special but it's on us," Bridges said of Hamilton's receiving corps. "We've got to come out to work every day and stay accountable.
"But it's a great group and I love that we keep each other accountable and work hard."
Last season was one of adjustment for Bridges as he not only headed to a different country but had to get acclimated with a new game. With a year under his belt and returning for a second season in the same offence with the same receivers coach (Naaman Roosevelt) and offensive co-ordinator (Milanovich), Bridges is much more comfortable heading into the '25 campaign.
"It's definitely a big jump," he said. "Things slow down, especially playing a whole year and having success.
"Having the same receiver coach and same OC and playing with a lot of the same guys and having someone like Bo who believes in me just makes things so much easier to come into. But now I just want to take that next step, you can't be complacent, just got to get better every day."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
