Famous FSU WR Joins $7M CFL Team Again After Aaron Glenn’s Jets Cut Ties

In the wake of Sunday’s 34-30 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the annual Labour Day Classic, the latest we have on the Bombers might just take some of the sting away.  

American receiver, Ontaria ‘Pokey’ Wilson, is back in Bomberland. As of Monday, they have signed him to an extension through the 2026 season in a roster move they could comfortably afford after the $7 million profits last year. But only if it were just a money wager.

Wilson proved in 2024 that he could be a game-changer, hauling in 71 catches for 1,026 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie campaign. His breakout came last July when he torched Calgary for 201 yards on 13 receptions, one of the top single-game marks in franchise history. Winnipeg, too, on its end, had rewarded him with its Most Outstanding Rookie award. 

The confidence he showed on the Bombers’ field contrasted with the uncertainty he felt just getting there. Wilson often recalls the nerves of training camp, living in the dorms, and waiting for that dreaded knock on the door that meant your shot was over. “It’s nerve-wracking… I’ve been cut before from teams, so this was a big accomplishment,” Wilson said. “You just don’t want to see anyone on that day.” 

That drive traces back to Ashburn, Georgia, a town of just 4,500 where, as Wilson puts it, “everybody knows everybody.” It’s also where he got the nickname “Pokey,” courtesy of his grandmother, who thought he resembled a character from Pokémon. As the catchphrase went, “Gotta catch ’em all”, a fitting mantra for a receiver who turned into a reliable target at Florida State despite cycling through three head coaches, six offensive coordinators, and three position coaches.

Consistency paid off: 51 games, 108 receptions, 1,521 yards, and 12 touchdowns with the Seminoles. It was enough to chase that NFL dream; a look with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 and later the New York Jets this past spring…. Even though it all fizzled out. 

Signed by Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers as an undrafted agent in 2023, Wilson fought through camp only to be cut before the season began. The recent release from the Jets wasn’t an anomaly. After tallying three preseason catches for 38 yards, he just didn’t find another reception when it mattered most in that final preseason outing against Philadelphia. 

Most players would have walked away after back-to-back setbacks, but Wilson isn’t built that way. His love for football runs deeper than the league lines. When the NFL shut its doors, he carried his dream north.