WINNIPEG, MB.– The Winnipeg Blue Bombers announce that the club has agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with Brady Oliveira, a week before he was scheduled to become a free agent.
Oliveira is a 5’10 227 Canadian running back out of the University of North Dakota. At the University of North Dakota, he appeared in 42 games recording 2,822 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns over four seasons. He earned All-Big-Sky Honors in 2016 and 2017, and in 2018 was a Jon Cornish Award Finalist for the most outstanding Canadian player in collegiate football. His best season came in his final one at UND, when he rushed for 980 yards on 161 carries, with eight touchdowns in just 11 games.
After his amateur career was over, Oliveira declared for the 2019 NFL draft. Unfortunately, he would not hear his name called in the NFL Draft, but he would hear his name when he was drafted 14h overall in the CFL Draft that same year.
On May 13, 2019, Oliveira signed his first professional contract and officially became a Blue Bomber. His first year came to end in week two of the 2019 CFL season during the Bombers home opener when he suffered a season-ending leg injury. He was back on the field practicing at the end of 2019 but did not suit up for any of the team’s playoff games.
Oliveira posted solid numbers in his first full season with his hometown team, rushing for 429 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. Out of those 13 games six of them were starts. Those totals placed him second on the club in rushing behind Andrew Harris (623) and ninth overall in the CFL.
Oliveira talked about his free agency process and the decision to stay in blue and gold with bluebombers.com and this is what he said.
“Winnipeg is really all I know. I’m born and raised in Winnipeg. I love the organization. They’re the ones that drafted me and believed in me from the beginning. There were other teams that were offering a lot higher for pay, but at the end of the day that didn’t mean anything because I really wanted to be back. Winnipeg is where I belong.”
“All the coaches, Osh (head coach Mike O’Shea), all the guys on the offensive line… I just couldn’t picture myself being in another locker room with faces I don’t know. Everyone in that Winnipeg Blue Bombers locker room is truly a good person who I want to go to work with every single day.”
