 Jefferson with theWinnipeg Blue Bombers in 2025 | |||||||||||||
| No. 5 – Winnipeg Blue Bombers | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end | ||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||
| CFL status | American | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1991-01-31)January 31, 1991 (age 34) Beaumont, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 244 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Ozen High (TX) | ||||||||||||
| College | Stephen F. Austin Baylor | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
| Career CFL statistics | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Stats at CFL.ca | |||||||||||||
Willie Hebert Jefferson III[1] (born January 31, 1991) is an American professionalfootballdefensive end for theWinnipeg Blue Bombers of theCanadian Football League (CFL). Jefferson is a three-timeGrey Cup champion, winning with theEdmonton Eskimos in2015 and twice more with the Blue Bombers in2019 and2021. He was named theCFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2019 with the Bombers, and is a six-time CFL All-Star and seven-timeCFL West All-Star. He has also been a member of theHouston Texans,Buffalo Bills,Washington Redskins, andSaskatchewan Roughriders. Jefferson playedcollege football for theStephen F. Austin Lumberjacks andBaylor Bears.
Jefferson attendedOzen High School. He was selected to the 4A all-state second-team in his senior year in high school.[2] He was selected to the First-team All-District 20-4 and Port Arthur News Super Team while at high school.[2]
Jefferson started hiscollege football career as awide receiver for theBaylor Bears in 2009 and moved totight end for the 2010 season.[3] However, he was dismissed from the team in October 2010 after he and teammateJosh Gordon were found asleep in Jefferson's car at a local Taco Bell with marijuana in the car.[4] Jefferson, who was driving, was kicked off the team due to it being his second violation.
Jefferson transferred toStephen F. Austin University to play for theLumberjacks and was named 2011 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year in his Junior season. He led the Southland Conference in sacks with 16.[2] He was selected to the Sports Network All-America second team, Phil Steele's Magazine All-America third team.[2]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft5+7⁄8 in (1.98 m) | 233 lb (106 kg) | 34+1⁄2 in (0.88 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.73 s | 1.68 s | 2.76 s | 4.76 s | 7.43 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) | 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) | 13 reps | |
| All values fromPro Day[5] | ||||||||||||
On April 27, 2013, Jefferson signed with theHouston Texans as an undrafted free agent following the2013 NFL draft.[6] He appeared in six games for the Texans before being released on October 21, 2013, for unspecified violations of team rules prior to a game in Kansas City.[7][8]
After sitting out the remainder of the2013 NFL season, Jefferson signed a reserve/future contract with theBuffalo Bills on January 16, 2014.[9] However, he was released less than two months later on March 3, 2014.[7]
On April 3, 2014, Jefferson signed with theEdmonton Eskimos of theCanadian Football League (CFL).[10][11] In hisfirst CFL season, he played in 17 regular season games, starting in 10, here he had 19 defensive tackles, four sacks, six pass knockdowns, one fumble recovery, and one blocked kick.[10] He also made his post-season debut as he played in two playoff games where he had one defensive tackle.[10]
In2015, Jefferson played in all 18 regular season games, starting in six, where he had 24 defensive tackles, six sacks, four pass knockdowns, and three forced fumbles.[10] After playing in the team's West Final victory over theCalgary Stampeders, he played in his firstGrey Cup championship game.[10] He recorded one defensive tackle as the Eskimos defeated theOttawa Redblacks in the103rd Grey Cup.[10] In the following off-season, Jefferson was granted an early release in order to pursue NFL opportunities.[12]
Jefferson signed afutures contract with theWashington Redskins on January 14, 2016.[13] On August 27, 2016, Jefferson was waived by the Redskins.[14]
On September 28, 2016, Jefferson returned to the CFL and signed with theSaskatchewan Roughriders, rejoining his formerhead coach from Edmonton,Chris Jones.[15] He played in the final five games of the2016 season, where he had eight defensive tackles and three sacks.[10]
Jefferson was named a CFL All-Star in2017 after he played and started in all 18 regular season games and had a career-high 45 defensive tackles along with eight sacks, six knockdowns, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.[10] In2018, he was nominated as the team's Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defensive Player after recording his first season with double digit sacks and a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns.[16] For his strong season, Jefferson was again named to the CFL All-Star Team alongside teammateCharleston Hughes.[17][18] He became afree agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 12, 2019.[19]
On February 12, 2019, it was announced that Jefferson had signed a one-year deal with theWinnipeg Blue Bombers through the2019 season.[19] Jefferson felt the Roughriders' offer did not match his market value; he was also courted by theToronto Argonauts, but signed with the Blue Bombers for $210,000CND.[20] Jefferson's most notable performance came against Edmonton, where he recorded four tackles (two for a loss), three sacks, two forced fumbles, recovered another fumble, knocked down two passes, recovered an onside kick attempt, and scored arouge when he kicked a fumble through the endzone.[21]
By season's end, Jefferson played in all 18 games and made 25 defensive tackles and caught an interception; he also set new career highs for sacks and forced fumbles, with 12 and six respectively. He also set the CFL record for a defensive lineman with 16 pass knockdowns.[22] Jefferson's strong play in the playoffs, together with his fellow defensive linemenJackson Jeffcoat,Drake Nevis, andJake Thomas saw the Bombers defence control the games against theCalgary Stampeders andSaskatchewan Roughriders, to lead the Bombers to the107th Grey Cup. In the107th Grey Cup game, Jefferson had two tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, with a dominant performance that saw the Bombers end their 29-year Grey Cup drought. After the game he said that, "I just had to come out here and give it my all. I had my dad, my mom, my wife and my daughter. I couldn't come out here and play a mediocre game in front of my family."[23] For the second consecutive year, Jefferson was nominated as both Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defensive Player for his team, where he ultimately won theCFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award for his performance over the course of the2019 CFL season.[24][25]
After the 2019 season, Jefferson had a tryout with theMiami Dolphins which had gone well and he turned down other NFL tryouts.[26] However, prior to the2020 season, Jefferson signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him in Winnipeg through the 2021 season at approximately $265,000 a year.[27] Unfortunately, the 2020 CFL season was cancelled as a result of the pandemic but Jefferson returned to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for the2021 season.
Jefferson would help the Blue Bombers thrive in their title defending season in2021. Winnipeg finished the season with the best record in the CFL and Jefferson and the Bombers defence led the league in fewest yards and points allowed. He finished the season with seven sacks, 18 tackles, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions with one of those returned for a touchdown.[10] Jefferson's stellar play meant that he was named a CFL All-Star for the fourth season in a row.[28] The Bombers would defeat the Roughriders in the West Final to go to the108th Grey Cup and defend their title. In the 2021 Grey Cup final game, Jefferson and the Blue Bombers top-rated defensive unit helped the team to their 12th Grey Cup title, and second in a row, defeating the hometownHamilton Tiger-Cats in overtime, by a score of 33–25. After the extra time win, Jefferson said that "We're behind enemy lines, fans on our backs, city against us and we had to come out here and show these guys who we are. If it had to go into overtime to do that, that’s where we did it. It was tense, but we just had to stick it out. I had no doubt at all."[29]
Jefferson continued his stellar play in the2022 CFL season, contributing with 33 defensive tackles, seven sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception and one touchdown.[10] Jefferson was named a West-Division All-Star for the fifth consecutive season.[10] The Bombers went to their third consecutive Grey Cup match, but were defeated by theToronto Argonauts in the109th Grey Cup. Following the season, on November 26, 2022, Jefferson and the Bombers agreed to a one-year contract extension.[30]
In2023, Jefferson played and started in 17 regular season games where he recorded 21 defensive tackles, 11 sacks, a league-leading 13 pass knockdowns, and three forced fumbles.[10] At the end of the year, he was named a Division and League All-Star once again. He played in his fifth Grey Cup game, and fourth consecutively, where he had one defensive tackle and one sack, but the Blue Bombers were defeated by theMontreal Alouettes.[31] On December 4, 2023, Jefferson signed another one-year contract extension with the Blue Bombers.[32][33]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| * | Led the league |
| ≈ | Won the Grey Cup |
| ± | Grey Cup MVP |
| Bold | Career high |
| Defence | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP | GS | DT | QS | PKD | Int | FF | FR | TD | |
| 2014 | EDM | 17 | 10 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | EDM | 18 | 6 | 24 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | SSK | 5 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | SSK | 18 | 18 | 45 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2018 | SSK | 18 | 18 | 34 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2019 | WPG | 18 | 18 | 25 | 12 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2020 | WPG | Season cancelled | |||||||||
| 2021 | WPG | 14 | 14 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2022 | WPG | 18 | 18 | 33 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2023 | WPG | 17 | 17 | 21 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 | WPG | 18 | 18 | 25 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| CFL totals | 161 | 141 | 252 | 74 | 77 | 6 | 21 | 9 | 5 | ||
