Blue Bombers QB Zach Collaros emotional during end-of-season scrum

Take us through, if you don't mind, just the emotions of the game, how close you came in it to have it snatched away. You seem emotional listening to you? Uh, yeah. I think the older you get, the more emotional you get, you know, about everything. I feel like my daughter will say something, and I just start tearing up at times, you know, or I'll talk to, yesterday was a weird one, you know, I feel like the older I get, the more I get this way, like I just said, but talking to my dad before the game was a little emotional, for sure, and yeah, yeah, so losing the playoffs, obviously, the season ends, and it's tough every single season, obviously, because that room is never the same. When you build relationships with the people in that room, the locker room, the coaches, the people in the organization, it's never again going to be the same the following season. So I think just that realization always makes it difficult. It doesn't really have anything to do with the manner in which the game ended, right? It's more so just... I've said this to you a million times, Paul, this is about the people, right, so you want more time together. We spend a lot of time in this building, you know, chasing the goal, you know, so you spend a lot of time together. It's just tough to, it's weird that you're driving home like, I'm not going to be going in for a day one, you know, that's weird. How does your personal status, uncertain status, and stage of your career, is that playing into your feelings? Yeah, yes and no. I mean, I've thought about my future more and more, as I've gotten older, obviously. I've always kind of had it in the back of my head, you know, and I joke with you guys sometimes. I think I said it to you, you know, like, when's the gig going to be up, kind of thing. But as you get older, you certainly think about it more. But I don't think that's officially hit me yet. But, you know. We'll see how that all plays out. A few weeks ago you said you wanted to play next year still. Yeah, if you would have asked me in the beginning of the season, the first four weeks, and we were having discussions here in the building about getting something done before the injury in Hamilton, I thought I was going to play for a couple years. So, um... You know, everything changes day to day, and things happen, and we'll see. We'll see. We were talking contract extension earlier in the season. Did you get hurt? Yeah. So up in the air. Yeah, I mean, that's the, you know, again, we haven't touched base since then, but, you know, things change as the season goes on, obviously, on both sides. And right now, do you want to play again, if they want you? I haven't made a decision yet. I talked to – I've been getting a lot more messages from my old coaches and old teammates, and Dennis McPhee, who was our D-line coach in Hamilton, Deeker, sent me a message this morning – or last night, rather. It's like Ron Lancaster always said, don't make any decisions until January. I think that Lancaster's a legend, right? So I should probably heed to his advice, so, yeah. So Zach, how serious was your rib injury? Can you say? Yeah, I mean, it's serious enough to not play in the first round of playoffs, right? So I've had to miss a playoff game before. It was more of a concussion-related thing when I was in Saskatchewan, and that was a much easier decision. Just because of the nature of that topic, right? So, again, serious enough to not play. Can you say, were your ribs bruised or cracked? No, yeah. When you look around, you said, you know, you're thinking about your future, and so is Stan and Pat. Yeah. What does being with this group since 2009 mean to you? What does 2019 mean to you since you're contemplating possible retirement? What does it mean to me? Man, it means a lot. Yeah, Stan and Patty. I mean, the list is very long of guys that were here for this run in Blue Bomber history. Nick Hallett, Tanner, Dembski, obviously. There's a lot of guys that I've played a lot of football with, spent a lot of time with. Right. So. And they're great football players. They're great professionals, great husbands, great fathers. It's been a blessing to be around them, obviously. And usually before the season starts, I thank him for making this whole thing go back in 2019 and how it changed the career as a career. And the whole, I don't really care about the player. But just being able to be a part of this organization and being around the people that I've been able to be around, I'll never forget it. It's been just such an amazing journey, an amazing blessing to be in this community. The stuff that happens on the field is the stuff that happens on the field and I think some of you know me well enough to know that I don't really, everyone's going to forget about that in three months or five months. It's, what did you do for me lately? Like, so, I don't really care about that. It's more so the relationships you build, and I don't say that lightly. It's true. And it's what makes days like today hard. It's what makes last night difficult. So, um... Projecting out into the next couple months, you know, it makes it hard, for sure. Zach, I know you've got some decisions to make still, but when you kind of reflect, like, what's it been, kind of jump off of that, like, what's it been like to be here over the last number of years? Yeah, like I said, it's changed my life. My kids have grown up here. I didn't know anything about Canada before I came to this league or anything about Winnipeg before I came out here. It's been amazing. I love this place. I love this building. I love coming to work in this building every day. I love being in this city. Thank you very much. Thank you. I love the neighborhood that we're in right now. I love the school my kids are going to. I love how much they love it. You know, so. It's the human element. I love that my kids love their friends. They've made, you know, from teammates, children, and everything, so, yeah. Could you see yourself eventually when you decide to step away from the game, like being here? Probably not. I don't know. I mean, I love it here, and, man, I really do. But where we're at right now, and the decisions we have to make moving forward... You never know, You never know, you never know, but I really, I want my kids to know my parents, you know, and my wife's parents, so I'd like to be close if possible. Zach, how do you, in a way, kind of even put a finger on the season? On one hand, 9-9s, some highs and lows in the regular season. On the other hand, you guys were three minutes from being in the Grey Cup, in a way. Yeah, kind of like I said last night. A lot of ups and downs, obviously. Let's start talking about some football. A lot of ups and downs. I mean, I talked to you a lot the whole season. I thought we were going to go 18-0 or however many games we played. I mean, I really did. I think from a football standpoint, this is one of the more enjoyable seasons I've had, just from the schematics and having been able to be coached by Tommy again and just being around that energy every day was great. And just learning the game was awesome. I thought the environment was A-plus all season long. There's a belief in the building that we were gonna get through all the ups and downs. I don't know. Like, you know, last night I said to you, it's kind of a, we get going, we get going, we get going, and then shoot ourselves in the foot at the worst possible time, you know, and I'm not sure if we strung together, you know, two wins in a row, and I don't know what you can credit that or not credit that to, right? It certainly wasn't a lack of work put in, you know, and want to. Like, that's one of the things I'm... I'm proud of my entire time here, not just me, everybody. People want to be great here and that's what I think will continue to propel this organization to the highs that we've been able to reach at times. Some of your tough luck with injuries this year, did it ever make you feel like, man, again or just kind of? Yeah, for sure. And yeah, it kind of is what it is and I don't want to get into. Why it happened on this play and that play, because things happen. It's football. It happens. You don't have to get into this if you don't want to, but you mentioned a few minutes ago that before the game you talked to your dad and it was kind of a particular emotional phone call. Why was this one maybe more emotional than the average week? Oh, I don't know. I get that way sometimes, like I said before. I just don't see him enough, so that's probably why. Brady was just telling us that you're the type of person that when he got to know you his first year here, you made him want to work harder because of everything that he saw from you. Just from your perspective, Zach, seeing a guy like him or some other guys that were younger when they came in, what has it been like to see them kind of grow into the players that they've been? It's nice for you to say. It's been awesome. I mean, I think what you, you just kind of go to work every day and you try to be the best person you can be. um, thank you very much, You kind of have this realization at some point that the younger guys are looking at you and looking up to you, and so it's not just doing your job, it's bringing those guys along, whether that's on the field or off the field. And Brady's certainly a guy who wants to learn and continue to better himself as a player and as a person. So to hear something like that that he said about me is really, really cool. Thank you. But to be in a leadership role is always really... It's special, and there's a relationship that you build. Days like today are when guys come over to you and thank you for stuff, and they're like, what are you talking about? It's something you said in week four that you don't really think about, but again, you're just trying to bring everybody along. Um, and, uh... That's something I really love about this sport and the position that I've been blessed to be in as a quarterback. You're kind of the pseudo-leader of the offense and sometimes of the... I'm always up here in front of you guys, so a lot of these guys are like, oh, he must be important, you know, so being able to, like, just have a little bit of words of wisdom to, like, these younger guys, I try to do that. Do they roll their eyes sometimes? Probably, but I try to help them out, and I take pride in that, I do, because I remember being their age, and, you know, I'd deal with my little brother, and I feel like Taylor's that way, too. I look at him, and I'm like, man, you remind me of me. It's like, you're it. Kind of an idiot sometimes. I'm still kind of an idiot, thank God I met my wife, but I can't even be mad at you for some of the stuff. I love Taylor, but I just, it's been, it's great being around those young guys, you know, and it's anything I can do to help those guys. And if Mr. and Mrs. Erzmar are watching this, your son is not an idiot, he's not. He just reminds me of me when I was younger, so, yeah. Zach, what do you think of first when you think of Stanley Bryant and Patty Newfold? I can't start crying again. Yeah. Like the people that you want, like leaders, you admire their work. You want to be like them and their approach to how they do their job. You know, they've meant so much to this organization. They care so deeply about this organization, about the offensive line room. And the team, and doing things the right way, and it'd be hard, it'd be very difficult for me to put like a price on what those guys have meant to the organization. Stanley is like, Stanley's easy for you guys to talk about, right? He's one of the most esteemed linemen, like ten times. Yeah, so that's Stan Stan, and he's gotten all the recognition and more. He deserves more, and he's been amazing, and it's been like... It's helped me so much in my career to play behind him and for him to protect me. And so he should be honored always. They should build a statue of him in front of this building. Patty's a guy, and I stopped reading this stuff like ten years ago, but I'm not sure if you guys talk about Patty enough. But Patty Newfield, what he's meant to that room and to our offense for the last, since 2019 and beyond. We don't accomplish what we have accomplished here, and I know that we've fallen short the last five years and not won the last game, but we do not accomplish what we accomplished here without Pat Newfield. There's just no chance. You can probably ask Broxton, you can ask Yoshi, those guys that have played next to him, you can ask the centers, you can probably ask Marty. Thank you very much. Any coordinator that's worked with them, you don't accomplish what we've accomplished in this organization without Pat Newfield. So it's been, and I tell these guys all the time, it's an honor to have played with them. Zach, you talked a little bit about it. What did Tommy Condell bring to the team this year? Oh, man. Tommy's the man. Yeah. I mean, you guys are around enough. I think his energy, his positive outlook on everything, his willingness to do the work at the... His own is probably a health expense. You know, he, I mean, I've learned so much from him in my life and just this year. And I think if you ask all those guys offensively, like, that same question, the receivers, the offensive line, like, just the energy he brings every single day, the knowledge he has for each and every position, trying to bring everybody along and pull in the right direction toward greatness. He's always talking about chasing greatness. Yes. And he believes that to his core, that we should be chasing greatness all day. Every day if we're in this building, in the offseason, we should be chasing it too. I think that he's brought that mindset to everybody offensively. And I think the defensive guys, there's guys who really care and want to know football too. They gravitate to him too and pick his brain as much as they possibly can. Yeah, so. To me, he's like a shot. I mean, I've talked about him enough in so many ways over the years with you two, and I love Tommy. I love his family. I love the person that he is. I think he's the best play caller I've ever played for. He's the best coordinator I've ever played for. It's not really close. For three years now, you guys have been seventh or eighth in points scored. What will it take to fix that for 2027? Good job. You've got to score more touchdowns, obviously, and some things that are not up to me. Just as a final one, does he use the Monopoly analogies in team meetings and stuff and pick up basketball with the kids? I heard he uses everything. I heard he had one. Taylor told me this one. He said something about, I'm just a chef. They give me the ingredients, and yeah, he's great, man. He's great. I have like a Tommy-ism board. Just things that I need to write down and just put my refrigerator every single morning like forever just remind my kids You know, he's he's the ******* best man. He's the best That's the best we can do. Zach you you talked about how you have a decision to make possibly waiting until January to make it I'm curious for you. What are the factors that are going to go into that decision? And what is that process going to look like for you? Yeah, I'm not really sure. Yeah Thank you. Thanks, guys.