They're teammates now with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but Tim White wants a lot more than just friendship from Kenny Lawler this season.
Lawler signed a two-year deal with Hamilton as a free agent following four seasons with Winnipeg (2019, 2021, 2023-4) and another with Edmonton (2022). During his time with the Blue Bombers, Lawler earned two Grey Cup rings (2019, 2021) and a CFL all-star nod (2021).
Lawler will bring his big-play ability to a Hamilton offence that last season not only boasted the CFL's top passer in quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (5,451 yards 32 touchdowns) but led the league in net offensive yards (406.1 per game), passing yards (332.1), average yards per play (7.15) and passing TDs (35).
The five-foot-nine, 175-pound White was a big part of that, finishing third overall in receiving yards (1,164) with 74 catches for eight TDs (second behind Edmonton's Eugene Lewis with 10). It marked White's third straight 1,000-yard season in four CFL campaigns and netted him a third league all-star nod.
And White wants Lawler to push him to even greater heights.
"At the end of the day we're all competitors, we're all competing, we all want to be the best and we all want the opportunity," White said. "When you're on the same team, that's great, we have the same mission, we have the same objectives and that's how it should be.
"But I don't want someone to come in and just be friends with me, I want them to push me to my limits. I want the challenge of, 'I want to be the best, OK, let's see what it is.'"
Mitchell has no doubts Lawler can bring out the best in White, and that White can bring out the best in Lawler.
"They'll be able to help each other run that (receiver) room together," Mitchell said. "I'm excited to see just what we do with it.
"There's a lot of good receivers in that room … and there's not two, there's like five, six, seven or eight."
While White led Hamilton in receiving yards, rookie Shemar Bridges had a club-high 83 catches for 933 yards and four TDs before suffering a season-ending thigh injury. Hamilton had another 1,000-yard receiver in Steven Dunbar Jr (75 catches, 1,159 yards, five TDs) but he signed with Edmonton as a free agent.
Canadian Kiondre Smith also enjoyed a stellar third CFL season with Hamilton, recording 74 receptions for 933 yards and seven TDs.
The six-foot-three, 197-pound Lawler had 41 catches for 662 yards and four TDs in 10 regular-season games with Winnipeg in 2024. His best season with the Bombers was 202, registering 64 receptions for 1,014 yards with six TDs to earn CFL all-star honours.
Lawler enters 2025 having recorded 256 catches for 4,108 yards and 25 TDs in 63 regular-season games. But over nine career playoff contests, Lawler is averaging an impressive 19.7-yards per catch (29 receptions, 570 yards, four touchdowns).
"I've been on the other side of it a lot watching him go up 1-on-1, dunk on some guys and just bring another attitude to that corps," Mitchell said of Lawler. "The thing he's going to bring is fear.
"People know if you play Kenny and you're the guy covering him, you had better be locked in and even then you know you're still going to get got because he's going to get his. As a quarterback, he's a guy I know on a 50/50, 1-on-1 balls, I can put it into a spot that a lot of people can't get to but he can."
Yet despite its offensive production, Hamilton (7-11) missed the CFL playoffs, finishing fourth in the East Division. Mitchell said it's imperative that the Ticats start the 2025 campaign fast and strong.
"That was my first year as a starter not being in the playoffs," Mitchell said. "I know we were right there … but you look back and learn from it and say, 'Look it, we've got to start hotter,' … and that starts in training camp, it starts in pre-season.
"We need to win Game 1 of pre-season, not go 0-2 and then figure we'll turn it on for the first (regular-season) game. We need rookies and anyone coming to Hamilton to see Game 1 of the pre-season is when you learn how to win."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2025.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
