Players on Alouettes roster bubble get final chance to impress coaches
Article content
ST-JÉRÔME — The Alouettes' veteran players have done everything they could through nearly three weeks of training camp to ensure they'll remain with the team.
Article content
Now, it's up to the CFL rookies to show the coaches they should take a chance on them.
Article content
'We've never been shy talking about the competition on this team,' Als head coach Jason Maas said. 'Every single position, every single player, has been told that since Day 1. We've told the vets: 'Don't you dare think that you've made it.' And told the rookies: 'Don't think you're out of it.'
Article content
Article content
'Every single guy needs to go on that field and feel he can make our team.'
Article content
Article content
The Als play their final exhibition game Friday against the Ottawa Redblacks at TD Place (7 p.m., TSN4, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM). The teams played on Saturday in Montreal and, despite veterans playing throughout the first half, the Als were dreadful during a 23-7 defeat — at least on offence.
Article content
The optics have changed this week, with 37 veteran players not taking the two-hour bus ride to Ottawa.
Article content
One rookie battling for an Alouettes job is defensive-back Tiawan Mullen. The 5-foot-9, 182-pounder was Indiana University's outstanding defensive player in 2020. In 40 games, he intercepted five passes and forced four fumbles. He was a first-team all-American as a sophomore and spent 2023 with the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. His brother, Trayvon, plays for Baltimore and he's a cousin of Ravens starting QB Lamar Jackson.
Article content
Article content
'I'm handling this game like any other day,' said the 24-year-old Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native. '(Wednesday) I had to buff the car. (Thursday) I'm able to polish it. Once I'm done polishing, the result is going to show on Friday.'
Article content
The car? 'A Ferrari,' Mullin said.
Article content
Although the Redblacks are playing at home, head coach Bob Dyce has elected not to dress 29 veterans, including starting quarterback Dru Brown, tailback William Stanback and receiver Eugene Lewis — the latter two former Alouettes. Matt Shiltz, who also played for Montreal, will start at QB.
Article content
Caleb Evans is scheduled to start at quarterback and is expected to play the first quarter, at least, before being replaced by James Morgan. Mirabel quarterback Jonathan Sénécal, a seventh-round draft choice this year from Université de Montréal, should play the fourth quarter in what will probably be the epilogue of his short-lived pro career.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ottawa Citizen
15 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Alexandre Gagné brings warrior attitude to Alouettes' special teams
Alexandre Gagné knew something special was happening after he made a sixth special teams tackle against Toronto and several Alouettes teammates began telling him he was on the verge of a record. Article content 'It was nice to be able to do this for the Montreal Alouettes,' Gagné said. 'Doing it the first game of the year is just fun. It gets you excited for the other games.' Article content In last Friday's season-opening 28-10 win against the defending Grey Cup-champion Argonauts, Gagné ultimately tied a CFL single-game record by making seven special teams tackles. Article content Article content It takes a warrior mentality to play special teams in the CFL. When was the last time a guy who plays on punts and kickoffs drew widespread media attention? Well, on Friday night, Gagné received his 15 minutes of fame. Article content Article content 'Every year you want to re-establish yourself,' the 33-year-old St-Hubert native said. 'What you've done in the past doesn't matter anymore. Coming here and still being able to make plays, still being able to make an impact on the game and being able to win games in front of our fans, that's what's most important.' Article content The single-game record is shared by seven players, including Mike Miller, now Winnipeg's special teams co-ordinator, who holds the CFL career record with 226 special-teams tackles. The record might never be broken, and unlikely by Gagné, who sits at 111 heading into Friday night's game at Ottawa. Article content Nonetheless, the 6-foot, 230-pounder has carved out an impressive career, considering he was never drafted. When Gagné returned for a fifth season of eligibility at Université de Sherbrooke, he figured that would be the end of his days as a linebacker, so he concentrated on getting his Master's degree in finance. Article content Article content To Gagné's surprise Sasha Ghavami, his Montreal-based agent, got him a rookie mini-camp tryout with Saskatchewan and a CFL career was launched. Gagné played three seasons with the Roughriders — he spent most of his rookie campaign on the practice roster — before signing with the Als as a free agent. He's now in his eighth season and has 106 regular-season games to his credit. Article content 'I had a shot (in his second training camp in 2018) to play on special teams,' he remembered. 'I made sure I wasn't going to let (the opportunity) go.' Article content While special-team members generally fly under the radar — at least until they make a mistake — Als head coach Jason Maas and special-teams co-ordinator Byron Archambault devote attention to its finer details during every practice. Article content 'It's internal motivation,' Gagné explained. 'Maas and Archambault put a big emphasis on the importance of special teams. All the group feels it. Everyone wants to contribute a little bit on special teams, even if they play on offence or defence. They want to participate because we're having fun, we have a big impact on the game and I feel the coaching staff puts that mind into it.'
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Jack Todd: Canadiens, Alouettes unlock success using mind over matter
It's all in the mind. The more time I spend observing the world of sports (and the decades on the CV are piling up like a 1970s snowstorm in Montreal) the more I'm convinced that the entire vast apparatus of scouting and evaluation in a multibillion-dollar industry undervalues that substance between the ears. Year after year, NFL teams drafted towering prototype quarterbacks who could chuck a football 70 yards downfield. Year after year, Tom Brady won the Super Bowl. Closer to home, there is no clearer example than the Canadiens and the shift from the emphasis on physical talent to character and intelligence. If Trevor Timmins had a weakness, it was his tendency to overlook those two factors entirely. From the Kostitsyn brothers to Alex Galchenyuk to Jesperi Kotkaniemi, there were clear issues that should have been flagged. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Mercifully, the decision to swap Max Pacioretty for Nick Suzuki, Tomas Tatar and a second-rounder was not up to Timmins. In Suzuki, the Canadiens got the player who has set the tone for the entire organization, both in the way he thinks the game and in the way he behaves away from the rink. All this was on my mind Friday evening, when I watched Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander excel as the Alouettes drubbed the visiting Toronto Argonauts. I had my doubts about the decision to let Grey Cup champ Cody Fajardo get away and replace him with Alexander, mostly because the new QB has a meagre sample size in terms of CFL starts. Not to worry. Like Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes and Martin St. Louis, Danny Maciocia and Jason Maas know what they're doing. Alexander plays football like Suzuki plays hockey. He makes his reads quickly. He sees the open receiver. He anticipates. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with quick feet. Alexander is also fortunate to have receivers Tyson Philpot and Austin Mack back and healthy. One game doesn't make a season, we know that. But one smart quarterback can make a team. A mere 32 years ago Monday, the Canadiens won the most recent of their 24 Stanley Cups on June 9, 1993. I was working on the copy desk at the time and my contribution was to write the headline: 'The Cup Comes Home.' We're still waiting for the Cup to come back, this time with the Edmonton Oilers carrying Canada's hopes. I thought going into the final that the Oilers would win it and I still believe that's true — but as long as NHL officials award nastiness over skill, the achingly dull Florida Panthers have the edge. If only we could loan Edmonton the 1993 version of Patrick Roy — the goalie who refused to lose in overtime. A tire fire in a dumpster: The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to begin a year from Wednesday, with Mexico playing host at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The following day, Canada and the U.S. begin their campaigns in Toronto and Los Angeles. In theory, the event is co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the U.S. In truth, it's an American event all the way, with three host cities in Mexico, Toronto and Vancouver in Canada — because Montreal wisely pulled out — and 11 host cities in the U.S. Between June 11 and July 19, 2026, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to travel among the three host nations and 16 host cities before the final, played at MetLife Stadium in beautiful downtown East Rutherford, N.J. — a destination about as enticing as Irkutsk. At this point, with Mexico and Canada under economic siege from the U.S. and anyone looking to enter the conflagration that is Trump's America subject to search and seizure, such a World Cup is almost unimaginable. Mercifully, Montreal is not part of this. It won't be pretty. Lies, rumours &&&& vicious innuendo: Every great athlete needs a great rival. Muhammad Ali had Joe Frazier, Nashua had Swaps, Jack Nicklaus had Arnold Palmer. Their rivalry is in its infancy, but Jannik Sinner vs. Carlos Alcaraz is already one for the ages. … Speaking of rivalries, Sovereignty beat Journalism at the Belmont Stakes, making it two out of three and challenging Quebec, where sovereignty has beaten journalism for 50 years. … Our helmets off to the late, great Jim Marshall, who somehow played 282 consecutive games as a defensive end in the NFL, mostly with the Minnesota Vikings. Marshall also played a season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders before he went to the NFL. … When the last hockey game might take place on the first day of summer, it's time the NHL's schedule makers went back to the drawing board. Heroes: Davis Alexander, Tyrice Beverette, Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, Shawn Oakman, Tyson Philpot, Austin Mack, Sean Thomas-Erlington, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lois Boisson, Jim Marshall, Stephanie Hill, Charlotte Bilbault, Jannik Sinner &&&& last but not least, Carlos Alcaraz. Zeros: Aaron Rodgers, the puck over the glass rule, NHL schedule makers, the PWHL expansion draft, Auston Matthews, Daryl Katz, Stan Bowman, Joel Quenneville, Douglas Cifu, Vincent Viola, Wayne Gretzky, Bud Selig Jr., Claude Brochu, David Samson &&&& last but not least, Jeffrey Loria. Now and forever. @
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Jack Todd: Canadiens, Alouettes unlock success using mind over matter
It's all in the mind. Article content The more time I spend observing the world of sports (and the decades on the CV are piling up like a 1970s snowstorm in Montreal) the more I'm convinced that the entire vast apparatus of scouting and evaluation in a multibillion-dollar industry undervalues that substance between the ears. Article content Year after year, NFL teams drafted towering prototype quarterbacks who could chuck a football 70 yards downfield. Year after year, Tom Brady won the Super Bowl. Article content Article content Closer to home, there is no clearer example than the Canadiens and the shift from the emphasis on physical talent to character and intelligence. If Trevor Timmins had a weakness, it was his tendency to overlook those two factors entirely. From the Kostitsyn brothers to Alex Galchenyuk to Jesperi Kotkaniemi, there were clear issues that should have been flagged. Article content Article content Mercifully, the decision to swap Max Pacioretty for Nick Suzuki, Tomas Tatar and a second-rounder was not up to Timmins. In Suzuki, the Canadiens got the player who has set the tone for the entire organization, both in the way he thinks the game and in the way he behaves away from the rink. Article content All this was on my mind Friday evening, when I watched Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander excel as the Alouettes drubbed the visiting Toronto Argonauts. I had my doubts about the decision to let Grey Cup champ Cody Fajardo get away and replace him with Alexander, mostly because the new QB has a meagre sample size in terms of CFL starts. Article content Article content Not to worry. Like Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes and Martin St. Louis, Danny Maciocia and Jason Maas know what they're doing. Alexander plays football like Suzuki plays hockey. He makes his reads quickly. He sees the open receiver. He anticipates. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with quick feet. Article content Alexander is also fortunate to have receivers Tyson Philpot and Austin Mack back and healthy. One game doesn't make a season, we know that. But one smart quarterback can make a team. Article content A mere 32 years ago Monday, the Canadiens won the most recent of their 24 Stanley Cups on June 9, 1993. I was working on the copy desk at the time and my contribution was to write the headline: 'The Cup Comes Home.'
