48 Hour Primer | "I'm a fiery and passionate guy"

And gear him up in a helmet and shoulder pads and, well, there are no holds barred on the gridiron where he treats every football game as a physical and mental battle of wills.

So, one of the compelling subplots to Saturday's visit to Montreal in a critical late-season matchup will feature the showdown between Jones and Alouettes star quarterback Davis Alexander.

Yes, the physical matchup between Montreal's electric attack and Winnipeg's defence will be worthy of everyone's attention. And at the centre of it are two players who also lead the Canadian Football League in jawing.

Alexander can bring it -- anyone who has watched him lead the Alouettes can see him regularly gesturing at opposition benches after a big play or get right up into an opponent's grill -- but Jones is all-star calibre, too, in that department.

The proof? In a segment on a recent episode of Film Never Lies with Luke Willson the TSN analyst asked Alexander for his Top 5 Trash Talkers in the CFL. Alexander -- who Willson anointed as No. 1 -- listed a couple of teammates in Tyrice Beverette and Tyler Snead, along with Calgary defensive lineman Clarence Hicks.

But one of the first names out of his mouth was... Tony Jones.

"Tony Jones, #33, Winnipeg," Alexander told Willson. "Oh, man... he's a great football player. I think we have a mutual respect for each other.

"But on the field, we definitely don't like each other and I'm sure he would say the same thing. He's a heckuva trash talker."

That 'mutual respect' was certainly evident the last time these two teams met -- a 44-28 Blue Bombers victory in Winnipeg at the end of August when the after-the-whistle conversations between the two likely would have featured enough curse words to make a Samuel L. Jackson blush.

"If he sees me as one of the Top 5 trash talkers in the league, it is what it is," said Jones in a chat with bluebombers.com this week. "He was chirping, I was chirping and at the end of the game I'll shake everyone's hand.

"He can talk about it on the podcast. No hard feelings. I'm hoping for more trash talk this week. I really am."

Jones smiled then -- the kind of grin that hints he is loving every nanosecond of the attention and understands there is an entertainment aspect to what these guys do every week.

But it's also not forced. Talking trash is in his DNA.

"I'm a fiery guy. I'm going to go out there and lay everything on the line," Jones said. "Emotions run high but at the same time I love it when I get a little chirping from opponents or anyone else -- it actually gives me a boost. It gets me that much more amped up now. It's like, 'OK, you want to talk a little trash talk... I'll back it up and show you what that does.' I use it as a plus. I'm not the type to look at it sideways when someone talks a little trash to me on the field. It's like, 'OK, you want to talk trash?! Watch this...'

"It's all in the moment. To be honest, I couldn't tell you half the stuff I said after a game. I'm just so fired up and antsy. I'm just wired. After the game, I'll just tell some guys, 'Good game' and keep it moving."

Alexander is a leading CFL Most Outstanding Player candidate, having led the Alouettes to an 11-3 record while throwing for 4,414 yards and 29 touchdowns while Jones leads the Blue Bombers with 76 tackles, adding two tackles for a loss, a sack a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.

As Jones pointed out -- and Alexander would undoubtedly agree -- a player has to have game in order to unleash a verbal barrage. If the back-up long-snapper or ninth-string linebacker is talking trash, well...

"If that was the case some of your teammates might come out and pick you up by your shoulder pads and walk you up off the field," Jones said with chuckle. "You've got to know what you're doing. You've got to know the ins and outs and once you get to that level of understanding that gives you a bit more freedom to talk a little trash.

"There's a fine line where you could be talking so much trash you're not getting the call from the sidelines. Then, that's affecting you. But if someone is barking at you and you're barking back and they're now somewhat in a shell then that's a plus for us. That's how I look at it; any time I can help a teammate out or the team by getting under someone's skin and maybe that leads to them making a wrong decision or just in general I'm throwing them off... I'm all for that.

"I can't wait for Saturday and It's part of who I am and how I play. All my coaches and teammates know that. I'm a fiery and passionate guy on game day."

TAKE A BOW, MR. NEUFELD: The CFL announced today the nine players -- one from each team -- up for the Jake Gaudaur Veterans' Award, which is presented annually to 'a Canadian player who best demonstrates the attributes of Canada’s veterans.'

The Blue Bombers nominee is Pat Neufeld and here is what the release said about the veteran guard:

A 15-year CFL veteran, two-time Grey Cup champion and three-time All-CFL selection, Neufeld has built a career defined by tenacity, leadership and consistency. He has overcome numerous significant injuries throughout his career, including a torn Achilles, a broken leg and separated shoulders, to appear in nearly 200 CFL games.

As one of Winnipeg’s most respected veterans, Neufeld serves as a mentor to younger players and helps maintain the strong culture that has defined the Blue Bombers’ success. He was honoured with the club’s Ed Kotowich Good Guy Award in 2023 for his leadership and community involvement. A father of three who has made Winnipeg his home, Neufeld regularly supports charitable initiatives, school visits and outreach programs throughout Manitoba."

THE COACH SAYS: The Blue Bombers had a closed practice on Thursday prior to heading to Montreal Friday. The depth chart for Saturday's game will be released Friday morning, FYI.

Here is head coach Mike O'Shea's press conference from Thursday: