Dan LeFevour has lived all of football’s clichés, from being in the right place at the right time, to experiencing the crappy business angle, to living both ends of one man’s misfortune being another’s chance.

Now 29 and with a huge collection of football jerseys in his closet, he’ll also tell you the game all boils down to relationships and opportunities.

And he sees both here in Winnipeg after signing a free agent deal with the Blue Bombers late Thursday afternoon.

RELATED

» View 2017 free agent tracker

» Team by Team: Who still needs what?

» Match Maker: 13 signings that make sense

“A big part of my decision is having some familiarity with people already in the organization,” began LeFevour in a chat with BlueBombers.com. “I’ve known (Bombers Assistant GM/Director of U.S. Scouting) Danny McManus since… shoot, he worked me out before I even got to the CFL when he was with Hamilton as a scout and I was on their neg list.

“I’ve known him for almost six years. And Coach LaPolice, I’ve heard a lot of good things about from coaches I had in the past and players. I also played with (former Bombers) Kito Poblah and Carl Volny in college so any time I was in Winnipeg earlier in my career I’d go out to eat with them and they had great things to say about him and the organization.

“All those things can impact your decision.”

LeFevour is both an intriguing and shrewd addition to the Bombers QB depth chart behind starter Matt Nichols. The club opted to give Kevin Glenn his release in early January so he could play the free agent field, and he is now the pencilled-in starter with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Dom Davis, who signed a new deal just after the new year, has repeatedly received praise from GM Kyle Walters and the coaching staff as being ready to assume the No. 2 chores.

What LeFevour brings is five years of CFL experience with the Tiger-Cats, Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts. He made three starts for the Argos last year, throwing for 779 yards and six touchdowns after being added in August following an injury to Ricky Ray. He helped the Argos break a four-game losing streak in September in his first start and, a week later, threw for 271 yards and four TDs in a loss here in Winnipeg to the Bombers.

And at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, he does potentially offer the club a big-bodied and athletic option in short yardage or goal line situations.

“What keeps me at it? It’s the love of the game.” Dan LeFevour

LeFevour’s been-there/done-that – including NFL stops with Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay – has given him the clarity to understand that where he stands on the depth chart means little now, still months from training camp.

Again, it’s about opportunity and right now the Bombers are a good fit.

“Nothing’s guaranteed in football. I wish contracts were guaranteed, but they’re not,” he said. “There’s uncertainty every day of the year as a professional football player. You can have a contract and still lose your job and not get paid another dime. That comes with the territory of playing the sport.

“Honesty all I’ve heard (from the Bombers) is the depth chart will work itself out. They didn’t promise anything in terms of where I’d be or what my role is. I’m just excited that I’ll be able to come on board and see what happens from there.”

“It’s another opportunity to compete and play professional football. I’m hoping to get a good opportunity and that’s what everybody has told me in the organization. It always comes down to my preparation and the way that I perform. You can’t promise much outside of that so I have to come in and do my job and try to earn something on the team where I can contribute. That’s all I’m looking to do.”

LeFevour has had some unfortunate luck in his last two CFL stops. He replaced an injured Jonathan Crompton in the first game of the 2015 season with the Montreal Alouettes… and promptly suffered a season-ending dislocated shoulder. And in Toronto last year, he won his first starts with Ray injured – the very same day the Argos made the trade with the Bombers for Drew Willy.

So his nomadic football career continues as he now trades Toronto double blue for Winnipeg blue and gold.

“What keeps me at it? It’s the love of the game,” said LeFevour.

“There’s nothing else that can replace playing football… especially if somebody is going to pay you to do it.”

“My wife and I and now have a two-year-old daughter, have had fun with the experience of being able to live in different cities and experience different parts of North America. This opportunity will be no different. We’re looking forward to moving to Winnipeg and experiencing life up there. That’s what keeps us going.”