The only people who might be more excited about his CFL debut on Saturday night than Nate Collins himself are his parents, Allen and Roz.

“My parents are my biggest fans,” a beaming Collins said Thursday. “I know my dad’s excited just for the fact that I’m going to get to play again, because he knows how much football means to me. So he’s excited that I’m even up here and I chose to take this route and come up here.

“So he’s excited just to see what I can do after my injury, just like I am too. It’s one thing to be in practice. It’s another thing to be in a game.”

Collins, a defensive tackle, hasn’t played in a regular season football game since Oct. 6, 2013, when, as a member of Marc Trestman’s Chicago Bears, he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in a loss to the New Orleans Saints. He tried to stick with the Bears last summer, but his knee wasn’t quite ready and he was eventually released.

Collins said the ACL injury had nothing to do with why he was placed on the six game injured list to start this season. He was suffering from training camp bumps and bruises that would have prevented him from playing.

He will be taking the roster spot of Bryant Turner, who was placed on the six game injured list this week due to a hand injury. Collins is likely to share reps against the Stampeders with Deantre Harlan, but he’ll take any action he can get.

“I feel great. I feel awesome,” Collins said. “I just got the official word from the head man that I’m making the trip, so I’m excited. I just gotta kinda bottle it all up and get ready for Saturday night, but it’s definitely exciting. I get another chance to play football.”

Since Turner isn’t scheduled to return until the Labour Day Classic, this could be a prime opportunity for Collins to stake a claim north of the border. There are scouts from other teams who are big fans of Collins, but he’s not looking that far ahead.

“I view it as an opportunity to show this team that I can help up front and I can help out with whatever they want the two interior guys to do,” he said.

Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea feels Collins brings something a little different to the table than Turner does.

“He’s not trying to fill BT’s shoes,” O’Shea said. “Nate Collins is going to go out there and be Nate Collins. They’re different body types. They do some of the things the same. They’re both quick. But no, I’m not looking for Nate Collins to fill BT’s shoes. I’m looking for Nate Collins to be Nate Collins.”

LATE HITS

The CFL fined Bombers centre Dominic Picard an undisclosed amount on Thursday for his unnecessary roughness towards Alouettes defensive tackle Alan-Michael Cash in last week’s win over Montreal ... It’ll be either Garry Williams or Andre Ramsey at left tackle and Spencer Wilson at right tackle for the Stampeders on Saturday night. Calgary lost Edwin Harrison and Dan Federkeil to long term injuries on Monday night against Toronto ... In former Bombers news, the Tiger-Cats placed defensive back Johnny Sears on the six game injured list and the Roughriders signed linebacker Dan West.

SPEEDY RETURNER RETURNS

Troy Stoudermire is ready to return to action, while Paddy Neufeld will have to wait at least another week.

Both started the season on the six game injured list, but the Bombers pulled Stoudermire off on Tuesday and will make him the primary returner on Saturday at McMahon Stadium against the Stampeders.

“We’ll definitely use him in the return game,” head coach Mike O’Shea said Thursday. “Based on what we saw last year, he’s extremely explosive. He’s strong. He understands the return game ... everything you want from a premier returner.”

Rookie Justin Veltung performed well in Stoudermire’s absence, but the latter also has the ability to play both defensive back and receiver in a pinch.

“From what we know of him last year, we just can’t keep him on the sidelines,” O’Shea said. “He has the potential for a big play every single time he touches the ball. There’s only so many of those athletes in the league. He’s one.”

As for Neufeld, the Bombers pulled him off the six game injured list two weeks ago but have yet to activate him. He battled rookie Sukh Chungh for the starting right guard spot this week in practice, but Chungh prevailed.

“That’s sort of the mantra we’ve talked about all through training camp, and now with the roster being the way it is, there’s no fear involved with it,” O’Shea said. “You just know that there’s healthy competition and we’ve got the right characters who can handle that and that we’ll get guys that will all be playing to their potential.