Manitoba Bisons receiver Nathan Udoh, a former soccer player who started playing football when he was 17, put on a show during his brief WHSFL career. The 6’2”, 185-pounder won a CTV Bowl with Miles Mac in 2019, recording a team-leading 336 yards, along with 238 punt return yards. And while Udoh received stellar coaching from Buckeyes head coach Dan Washnuk and his staff, the building blocks for his development can be traced to Manitoba’s High Performance U18 program.
The premier-level soccer player signed up for Team ‘Toba in the summer of 2019 following the suggestion of a friend. His hope was to get his name out to scouts, as he was new to the game, while also developing his skill-set.
Manitoba’s receivers coach that year was the late Scott Naujoks, a St. Paul’s, Winnipeg Rifles and Manitoba Bisons alum who was a household name in the province. Over the years, Naujoks, who coached for the Crusaders and later the Bisons, earned the respect and admiration of all, due to his outgoing personality and unwavering belief in those that he mentored. He saw the potential in everyone, regardless of past experience, and that included Udoh, an athletic, but raw prospect who was selected to the team’s roster for that year’s Canada Cup.
“Once we got onto the field, [Naujoks] gathered all the receivers up and said ‘I don’t care if you run a 4.5 or jump out of the gym. I want to see good routes.’ Automatically, I was like aw, darn. I just had my athleticism going for me, I didn’t know much about the position of receiver. I definitely know that he took a chance on me,” recalled Udoh.
“He saw something that I definitely didn’t see in myself. I thought I was getting cut in the first phase. I wasn’t technically sound, I didn’t have all of the training that some guys had since they started at 8-12 years old and I just started at 17. He definitely took a chance on me and that’s something that I could never repay him for.”
As Udoh progressed through the various stages of tryouts, his game slowly improved. Naujoks taught him how to use his tall frame to his advantage, while also thinking about the game in a more calculated manner.
“He’d always tell me that maybe I was playing too timid or I wasn’t using my physicality or playing with enough speed. He definitely helped with the route-running for sure, but it would also be if the defender is doing this, what can you do to adjust? At this level, you can’t just run in a straight line. There has to be something, and that was what he would teach me. It was scenarios basically. The scenarios he would give me were huge. When I see them on the field, it’s like okay I know what I can do.”
Naujoks helps Wyke put it all together
River East alum Reece Wyke, another soccer star who didn’t play football until grade nine, can attest to Udoh’s comments. The speedy receiver had played the position for the few years prior to 2019 and won a CTV Bowl in 2018, but his game wasn’t necessarily refined.
“I didn’t make a lot of catches, and the only thing I ran was go-routes,” he says. “[Quarterback] Sam [Hezekiah] would get the ball, and he’d look at me, and if I thought I could get past the guy, I’d give him a head nod or something and he’d literally be like yeah bro, go get open and he’d throw me a 40-yard go-route. That was the only ball I’d catch.”
Nonetheless, Wyke still made a difference. He was exceptional in the kicking department and had a spectacular game in the Division 2 championship, helping the Kodiaks win their first title in two decades. In the summer of 2019, Wyke put it all together thanks to the U18 provincial team.
Former River East head coach Sean Oleksewycz convinced him to try out for Team Manitoba as a kicker, however all of the phase one practices were inside, so there wasn’t an opportunity to boot the pigskin. With his down time, he took reps at receiver, where he was moulded by Naujoks.
“At the start of camp, I barely knew what a route tree was. Learning the route tree was the first thing Scott was really big on. I home went with the playbook every night and went through the routes,” he says.
“I kept dropping the balls, because I had guys like Te Jessie and Sawyer [Thiessen] throwing, and they pack a little more heat. [Naujoks] showed me how to watch the ball and tuck it in after.”
Wyke impressed enough to earn a backup slotback spot for ‘Toba, while also returning kicks and providing kickoff and field goal duties. At the tournament, the spotlight was thrust on him much quicker than he’d expected following a broken collarbone suffered by Udoh.
In challenging times, Naujoks was there for both players. For Udoh, the positional coach served as a sounding board and support despite a tough setback.
“Scott, he was there. He’d check in on me. He knew that I was struggling with it,” recalled Udoh. “I also have to give a huge shout out to Jeffrey Bannon. He was absolutely immense. He was someone I looked to, whether it was to go back home or to stay the rest of the trip, and with the combination of the two of them, I decided to stay. I’m so happy with my decision. Throughout that injury, [Naujoks] would check up on me and give me updates. His support was immense.”
For Wyke, he was a mentor, offering encouragement and trust as the versatile playmaker transitioned into the starting lineup. He made sure that the River East alum was prepared, specifically with reference to his route running.
In the consolation final against BC, Wyke went off. The game plan was to get him the ball, and it worked. The dynamic playmaker had five receptions for just under 100 yards, utilizing his speed on drag routes and jet sweeps while also recording a 30-yard reception in single coverage. He also iced the game for ‘Toba late following a 50-plus yard kick return where he slashed between defenders down the left sideline. He was named Manitoba’s Player of the Game, and on his birthday no less.
“I felt like a completely different player,” he says.
“When you’re playing receiver, there’s different foot patterns you have to follow. If I’m running a slant, I want to dig my foot in really quick. If I’m running a stop-and-go, I want to slow my momentum but keep my feet moving, and if I’m running a corner, I want it to look like I’m running a post, and then stick it back to the corner really quick. Little things like that got me open a lot more. That was probably one of the biggest things [Naujoks] helped with during the tournament.”
Showcasing their skills
When the pair of dynamic athletes returned to their respective teams for the 2019 season, the game began to slow down. Wyke made plays all over the field and was named a league all-star at the Division 1 level, while Udoh was selected as the Division 2 Bomber Alumni Most Outstanding Player.
The Valley Huskers took notice of Wyke’s abilities, and this past year he made his CJFL debut as both a receiver and a returner. It’s an impressive progression for a guy who didn’t think he was going to make Team Manitoba when he first tried out, let alone play at the next level. Yet again, it speaks to the belief Naujoks and others had in him.
“I went into [tryouts] thinking there was no way I would make the team, but by the end I felt like I could really do something in football. I’d always been a soccer player my whole life, but that’s kind of when I saw that I could do something in football. I got so much better in such a short amount of time. The provincial team training was the biggest thing for me, the way the coaches pushed me. It was so much different than high school. I liked that level of football.”
Udoh’s career also continued after high school, as he signed with the Manitoba Bisons. He has Naujoks and U18 head coach Ryan Karhut – the Herd’s special teams coordinator and offensive line coach – to thank, in part.
“Coming into football, you don’t know what to expect. This is a bang-bang game and I needed a rock. I’d say coach Karhut definitely played a factor in that. He was huge in the recruiting process, and Scott too. He was just amazing. He was there every step of the way, whether it was Team Manitoba, my recruiting process, even being here with the Bisons. He was there all the way until the end,” Udoh recalled.
“He knew that I didn’t know much about the game, so he didn’t coach me the way he’d coach other receivers. He took his time with me. He explained stuff and depicted things and taught me the ways of a receiver. He was huge. I’m sure he stuck his neck out to get me here, so I’m just paying him back. I want to come through with the belief that he has in me too. I love coach Karhut and coach Naujoks, they were great for me.”