The true sporting legends often have streets named after them in their honour. Or maybe a bridge.

And statues? Sure, those are fine monuments to a man’s legacy.

But if you want to really measure the extent of a man’s popularity in any town – even after he has gone and is now wearing the colours of an archrival – it might be best represented by this:

Weston Dressler, some seven months after signing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, still has a sandwich named after him at a deli in Regina.

“We sure do,” said a perky sounding lady at the Italian Star Deli on Victoria Avenue in Regina, when reached on the phone by bluebombers.com on Tuesday.

“It’s a double meat, spicy.”

We bring this up today because Dressler, out since late July, was back on the practice field for the Bombers on Tuesday and – if this script unfolds like it should – will make his return this weekend in the annual Labour Day Classic.

Naturally, it became a topic of conversation after the workout when a media throng gathered around the veteran receiver. And, naturally, the Bombers are going to keep this decision close to the vest until later in the week, even though he was working with the No. 1 offence.

“I’ve been a part of this game for many years now, obviously I was on the other side, so I’ve seen what it’s like over there for those guys,” said Dressler, who spent the last eight years as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“It’s not an easy place to go into and win this game. We’re going to have our hands full. We’ve just got to continue to prepare like we have this season and keep getting better as a team.”

“It’s going to be rowdy… hostile.” Weston Dressler

Kicked to the curb in the offseason in what the Riders’ new management termed a ‘business decision’, Dressler was scooped up by the Bombers just over a week later.

But those kinds of transactions happen every month across the Canadian Football League. Dressler was different because, quite frankly, he was one of the most popular Riders in franchise history.

Case in point, after he was let go from a tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014, the gritty receiver had other options within the CFL, including Ottawa and Calgary.

He chose to return to Regina because it was a comfy fit for the North Dakota product. It didn’t hurt that in the negotiating period, fans and businesses made their best sales pitches to have him return, from the deli naming a sandwich after him to the offer of free cupcakes and car washes. There’s more: The Italian Star Deli not only attached his name to a sandwich, they offered him free paninis for a year.

It’s worth noting here that Dressler’s fiancée and her family still live in Regina too, and the lot of them will be in the stands Sunday afternoon in blue and gold.

“They’ll have the Bomber gear on for sure… they’d better,” said Dressler with a chuckle. “They are. They’ve already had it on, so they’ll be ready.”

Asked what emotions he might be experiencing this weekend upon his return, Dressler offered up an honest take.

“I couldn’t tell ya,” he said. “They’re probably going to be all over the place. For me it’s just trying to find a way to maintain that composure, especially early on.”

“Once the game gets going I’ll be all right. But there will all kinds of different emotions going on when we come out on the field.”

The Riders Dressler knew at the end of 2015 are barely recognizable now as Chris Jones & Co. work to remake the roster. It meant friends like Ryan Smith, also with the Bombers, and John Chick were also jettisoned.

And if he wanted, Dressler could kick some sand in the Riders’ faces given their 1-8 start.

But he’s bigger than that and wouldn’t go there on Tuesday.

“I haven’t really followed them too closely until this week, to be honest with you,” he said with a straight face. “I’m just focused on us right now and trying to find ways for us to win games and they happen to be our opponent this week so I’m scouting their ‘D’.

“There are just a handful of guys that I do know that are still on the team. That makes it a little bit different. Every week you play against guys that you know, the friendships that you make in this league because it’s such a small league. But there are definitely some really good friends that I still have over there, though.

“I want to win every game that I take a part in. This week is no different. I want to win, just like I wanted to win last week when I was watching my teammates go. I want to win. That’s all I can say.”

BOMBER REPORT – AUGUST 31, 2016

WESTON, THE BONUS ROUND:

The Bombers will be making their last appearance at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field as the Riders are scheduled to move into their spectacular new building next season.

“It’s a special place,” said Dressler. “It’s been there for however many years now. A lot of good memories for myself there… obviously winning a Grey Cup there (in 2013) was a special moment for me. I’ll definitely remember that stadium for as long as I live.”

SMITH EAGER, TOO:

Dressler isn’t the only ex-Rider itching to get back on the field. His teammate Ryan Smith, signed by the Bombers in free agency, was also back on the field Tuesday after being out since early last month. He was working with the Bombers No. 2 offence, indicating he might not be quite ready to return.

But with two full days of practice remaining, he shouldn’t be ruled out, either.

“I got through the first day, no pain,” said Smith. “But at the end of the day the decision’s up to the coaches. I can control what I can control and just do what I do and that’s play hard and play fast give everything I’ve got on the field. I feel good. No pain, no anything. I’m excited about what’s to come.”

Smith, FYI, has been out since July 14th with a lower body injury.

“It sucks watching, that’s for sure, especially when your teammates are out there making plays and you can’t go out there and celebrate with them,” he said. “You want nothing more than to be out there and help this team as much as possible. To see it from the bench and watching… it hurts sometimes but it’s definitely feels a lot better when you’re winning, though.

“You kinda circle this one on the calendar, against your old team, but we’ll see what happens throughout the week.”

As much as he’d like to see the two veteran receivers back in the lineup – and maybe even appreciates the juicy story their return to Regina would provide – Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea was reluctant to give the thumbs up until the two survive a couple days of practice.

“(Dressler) practiced today so we’ll have to see how that goes. And then, once again, we always check with him tomorrow and see how he feels,” said O’Shea. “Ryan Smith same thing also… check with him and see how it feels. (Jermarcus) Hardrick… we’ll just play it day by day with those guys until Day 3 (Friday).

“Player safety is always first and foremost. We want these guys healthy throughout the rest of the entire season. It’s a long way to go, so we won’t sacrifice that for everyone’s desire to have them play, especially this game. We’ve just got to be smart and make good decisions but, yeah, it would be nice to see them play this game.”

And when he was asked if he didn’t want to make too much change to a winning lineup, O’Shea added:

“We’ve had new bodies all season long. (Dressler and Smith) are veterans and very professional. They’ve kept up with everything… when they’ve been out, you go to the film room and they’re watching film together after practice, and practices they haven’t been a part of. No hesitation whatsoever throughout the entire roster.”

NEW BLUE BLOOD:

The Bombers added one and dropped another from their practice roster on Tuesday, bringing aboard OL Alex McKay while releasing receiver Kris Adams.

McKay, a Winnipegger and a product of the University of Manitoba Bisons, is 6-5, 300 and was a sixth-round draft choice of the Saskatchewan Roughriders this year. He started all 32 regular season and seven postseason games during his collegiate career with the Bisons.

ROLLING, ROLLING, ROLLING:

Justin Medlock has hit 20 consecutive field goals, a new Bomber record. But get him to open up about the accomplishment and he’s as ho-hum about it as if he was talking about a make in practice.

“It’s been going well,” said the veteran kicker with a shrug. “It’s just good snaps, good holds, and I feel like we’ll come back with points. Things are going well and we’re locked in. I just try to go one-for-one… that’s the biggest thing for me.

“I just try to go one-for-one, to be honest and really help out the team and get points. That’s all that matters. I’m not really big into records and streaks and what not. I’m just more into executing when called upon, especially down the stretch.

“We have a good set up. We run a good combination.”

Medlock has been around long enough to know what constitutes a good special teams unit. And he sees it here with the Bombers.

“That’s what O’Shea is known for: special teams, defence and hard-nosed football and getting people riled up,” said Medlock. “That’s probably why we do so well. We have a great special-teams coordinator (Paul Boudreau) who has come from the States and he’s done a great job coaching us with the little discipline/technique stuff. Both of them together have come up with a good plan for us.”

FYI:

The Bombers, as is always the case before the Labour Day Classic, used pumped-in crowd noise during a portion of Tuesday’s practice. O’Shea was asked for his thoughts on the live microphone idea used in last week’s Calgary-Hamilton game, where TV viewers could hear snippets of coaches and quarterbacks during the telecast. And he didn’t beat around the bush. “I don’t like it. I think it can be revealing and it’s not just the play call… overall, I think it’s a little too invasive.”