Montreal Alouettes Thread

[jerrym]

Ernest Jackson discusses winning the Grey Cup, how he selected the Als from the free agency offers that came his way and his off-season training in the video below.

http://www.cfl.ca/2017/03/09/off-sea...rnest-jackson/

[jerrym]

Another sign that the regular season is approaching. The Alouettes Spring Camp is only a month away.

The Montreal Alouettes will hold their 2017 Spring Camp at the Historic Dodgertown complex in Vero Beach, FL from April 10 to 12. Head Coach Jacques Chapdelaine will have his opportunity of the year to see his players at work, as they will hit the field on Monday, April 10.
More than 60 players are expected at camp, including the team’s new quarterback Darian Durant, who joined the team in January, as well as other newcomers such as Ernest Jackson, Frédéric Plesius and Jacory Harris. They will take the field with veterans such as Stefan Logan, Luc Brodeur-Jourdain, Nik Lewis and Samuel Giguère.

[jerrym]

Besides 17 NFL scouts, the Als Kavis Reed was at Antony Aucoin's Pro Day - adding a highly ranked Quebecois National on CFL Draft Day would be a bonus for the Als.

Our GM, Kavis Reed, went to evaluate tight end @Auclair81 today during his Pro Day at @universitelaval! #AlsMTL pic.twitter.com/KcB4xCPgoD

— #AlsMTL (@MTLAlouettes) March 13, 2017

[jerrym]

Catherine Raiche discusses how she went from well-paid corporate and tax lawyer to unpaid Alouette intern to assistant GM and hopes to become a GM some day in the article below.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle34318714/

[jerrym]

The Als appear close to acquiring Olafioye if Montreal can come to terms with the OL.

The Lions appear to be on the verge of trading all-star left tackle Jovan Olafioye to Montreal for Canadian offensive lineman David Foucault’s rights. ...

Foucault was drafted in the first round, fifth overall by the Alouettes in 2014. That same May the LaSalle, Quebec native earned an undrafted free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers where he spent two seasons. Last August Foucault was released by the Panthers and he remains a free agent.

http://3downnation.com/2017/03/23/li...oye-alouettes/

[jerrym]

7 months after devastating knee injury, #Als SJ Green looks to stars like Peterson, Collaros for inspiration. #CFLhttps://t.co/67EQ4kuRFL

— Tim Baines (@TimCBaines) March 23, 2017

[jerrym]

Herb Zurkowsky has a fine article on Calvillo's career that led to his being nominated for induction into the Hall of Fame.

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/o...82024737086373

[jerrym]

Might not be announced tonight, but the deal's imminent. #Als get OL @jolafioye63 from B.C. for the rights to David Foucault.

— Herb Zurkowsky (@HerbZurkowsky1) March 25, 2017

[doubleblue]

Montreal is starting to look like a real dark horse to contend in the East this year.

[OV Argo]

Montreal is starting to look like a real dark horse to contend in the East this year.

The additions of Durant and now Olafoiye, plus the return of SJ Green back to form (maybe) ... Als might be a force in the East this season; also depends lots on the coaching smarts of Jacques Chappy and his staff there IMO.

I bet they will have a good above .500 season.

[jerrym]

Why the #BCLions traded all-star Olafioye to #AlsMTL (hint: money) via @FifthQtr #CFL https://t.co/2sr8IPeMzq pic.twitter.com/key5Gqj1cj

— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) March 27, 2017

[jerrym]

DL John Bowman has been inducted into the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame, and may well be a future CFL Hall of Famer.

Bowman earned All-America, All-Region and All-South Atlantic Conference honors after a stellar 2003 season. He finished the season ranked No. 4 in the NCAA with 1.2 sacks per game and ranked No. 33 in the country with 1.4 tackles for loss per game. John Bowman closed out the 2003 campaign with 66 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, a league-best 15 sacks, two forced fumbles and a pair of pass breakups.
Bowman signed with the Montreal Alouettes in 2006 and is currently the Alouettes’ all-time leader in sacks with 102.During his career, the Alouettes won the Grey Cup in 2009 and 2010. Bowman was named to the CFL All-Star team in 2010. He is a six-time CFL East All-Star (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015). An 11-year CFL veteran, Bowman signed a contract extension through the 2017 season on August 2, 2016.

http://en.montrealalouettes.com/2017...nce-hall-fame/

[Will]

DL John Bowman has been inducted into the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame, and may well be a future CFL Hall of Famer.



http://en.montrealalouettes.com/2017...nce-hall-fame/

I think Bowman's admission to Hamilton is pretty safe.

[jerrym]

Als' Bear Woods on the CFL vs. NFL and living in Montreal:

NFL, CFL ... Woods likes what life has brought along for him. He has found his calling playing north of the border
“I’m home for six months of the year, I wouldn’t have that in the NFL," he said. "We get paid way less, obviously, but 4 1/2-hour workdays, there are lot of pluses to the CFL. The NFL is the elite league, but there are guys in that league who couldn’t make a roster up here and there are guys here that couldn’t make a team there. What suits me in this league is there is still a ball carrier that needs to be tackled." ...

Moving to Montreal in 2013 was an eye-opener for Woods.
"When I went to Montreal the first time, it felt as if I got on a plane and didn’t just stay in North America, I flew across the pond and landed in France or somewhere," Woods said. "To be relatively close to home and for people to be speaking a different language, there was culture shock.
"I didn’t realize the signage would be in French. After my first practice, I wandered that city for three hours trying to find my hotel. I remember thinking, ‘This is brutal.’ I didn’t run into any English speakers that day. But it’s been great."
Since, though, he has settled in nicely with wife Jennifer, daughter Winsley and son Bo Winston.
"My kids have spent more time in Quebec than they have in Alabama," Woods said. “My wife always wanted to live in a big city and we’ve gotten to do that. She comes from a small town in Alabama and I’m from a small town in Florida, so to be in a big city, it’s like a vacation. We’re grateful to this country, this league and this opportunity and to (former Alouettes general manager) Jim Popp.”

http://www.ottawasun.com/2017/03/24/...-a-mean-guitar

[AngeloV]

#Als release Jonathan Crompton

— Rouge Radio Podcast (@RougeRadio) April 4, 2017

gilthethrill, it has finally happened.

[argolio]

gilthethrill, it has finally happened.

LOL, I think he just had a heart attack.

[gilthethrill]

LOL, I think he just had a heart attack.

Gosh guys was I that hard on Crompton? Either way in the end I don't really enjoy to see any player lose his job. Still hate hearing how he went 9-1 with Montreal in 2015.....

[jerrym]

Als President Patrick Boivin discusses the team's rebuilding plans below.

Patrick Boivin believes the groundwork is being laid and the pieces are starting to align. And, perhaps most importantly, the weaknesses identified.
“A lot of it has been putting the right foundations in place. That’s a fundamental pillar that helps us build our brand, our engagement with our fans and inherently drives to the larger commercial funnel,” Boivin, the Als’ new president, told the Montreal Gazette during a lengthy interview this week in his office. “It’s tough to do and, arguably, it’s going to be tough to prove without winning that first game. The core fans are there, I think and hope. But we’ve probably hit the bottom of the barrel. I don’t know that we’re going to bring them back other than trying to sell them on the pure football.”
Owners Robert and Andrew Wetenhall did Boivin, 38, no favours when they named him the 15th president in franchise history in mid-December, replacing Mark Weightman. Boivin inherited a team that has missed the Canadian Football League playoffs for two consecutive seasons, hasn’t had a winning record since 2012 and hasn’t reached the Grey Cup since 2010, its last championship season. The team’s playoff record since then is 1-4.
The Als have also gone through a series of head coaches and quarterbacks, unable to find a replacement for retired QB legend Anthony Calvillo. The days when the franchise was regularly selling out Molson Stadium seem nothing more than a distant memory and its season-ticket base is hovering between 10,000 and 11,000.

The average attendance, which stood at 23,000 as recently as 2013, dipped to 20,337 last season — the 23,420-seat McGill University venue selling out only once, Oct. 2, after Jacques Chapdelaine, the first francophone head coach in franchise history, replaced Jim Popp. ...


Boivin hasn’t made any monumental announcements. Nobody has been fired, other than some planned departures, and the only hirings have occurred in sales and marketing. If anything, Boivin has changed how the administration office operates, altering the workflow and internal accountability levels. The Als are known for having a young staff, but have been plagued by constant turnover.
Boivin, who admits he’s still learning the Canadian professional football business, conducts regular meetings with pillars of the business community and potential sponsors. There have been some “prospecting and intelligence gathering” from people who have spent years in the Montreal entertainment industry. Boivin said he has connected with every minor football program in Quebec and, last week, personally started phoning season-ticket subscribers who have recently cancelled or yet to state their desire to renew. ...

Boivin speaks with Andrew Wetenhall at least twice per week — father Robert, the team’s owner, is there to provide insight and an historical perspective — while Boivin meets with new general manager Kavis Reed, who he didn’t know until assuming his position, every Monday morning.
“Generally speaking, there’s a good optimism in the marketplace … although still a reserved optimism,” Boivin said. “Where we were an afterthought or not even part of the conversation before, we’ve become a bit more, if not top of mind, for those that are football friendly. We need to make sure we’re leveraging that and hitting the iron while it’s hot, as much as possible, knowing that it’s still on paper.
“We haven’t played a game.”
And that remains the crux of the matter. While the Als will conduct a three-day mini-camp starting Monday in Vero Beach, Fla., the event historically hasn’t been well covered by the Montreal media due to its logistics. Besides, with the Canadiens about to embark on what their fans hope is a long and prosperous playoff run, and with the Impact still winless but riding the emotional high of reaching the Eastern Conference final last season, few are thinking about football, despite the start of training camp barely more than seven weeks away.
Reed has worked hard at rebuilding the team, trading for veteran quarterback Darian Durant, signing free-agent receiver Ernest Jackson, while solidifying the team’s offensive line through the acquisition of import tackles Jovan Olafioye and Brian Simmons. If the Als can win their opening game at home against Saskatchewan and remain competitive, their image will improve, Boivin’s job seemingly becoming less onerous.
Before the bar can be set on expectations, this franchise must create the appearance that hope exists.
“If the team’s sustainably competitive we should, from a business perspective, be able to bring it back,” Boivin said. “We have a cyclically healthy and unhealthy business. I haven’t encountered one person I’ve met, or had lunch with, that doesn’t believe this can be done. It’s a question of rolling up the sleeves and doing it.”
Boivin comes to the Als with 16 years’ experience in the sports industry, including nearly a decade of management positions with the Canadiens where his father, Pierre, was a former president. Boivin joins the Als after four years as director of recreation and athletics at Concordia University.

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/fo...patrick-boivin

[jerrym]

Montreal has signed six Internationals: DBs Brandon Dozier, Vincente Miles, Tyran Finley and Aron Sibley, DL Ivan McLennan and OT Cory Tucker.

McLennan (6’03”, 238 lbs.) will be heading north to the CFL for the first time in his career, after having played for the Super Bowl finalist Atlanta Falcons. The 23-year-old defensive end established himself as a prolific pass rusher during his days with the Washington State Cougars. In two seasons, he amassed a total of 63 tackles, and an impressive 10.5 sacks in 22 games. McLennan played an important role in the Cougars’ victory over the Miami Hurricanes, during the 2015 Sun Bowl, when he made four tackles, including a quarterback sack. The Hawthorne, CA native had two pass deflections, and one forced fumble during his time in Washington State. McLennan agreed to a two-year deal with the Alouettes.
Dozier (5’11”, 201 lbs.) played in stellar fashion during the two seasons he suited up for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The 23-year-old athlete established new school records in his first year with the 49ers, recording a career-high 86 defensive tackles, all while becoming the first UNCC player to score two defensive touchdowns. He ended his collegiate career having recorded 135 defensive tackles. Prior to joining the CFL, Dozier had a tryout invitation to the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie mini-camp. Dozier and the Alouettes both agreed to a three-year contract.
Miles (6’01”, 196 lbs.) is coming to the CFL having suited up for the San Jose State University Spartans for two seasons after transferring from the University of Arizona Wildcats program. The Palo Alto, CA native recorded 28 defensive tackles and forced a fumble during his tenure with the Wildcats in 2012. The 24-year-old defensive back experienced his best moments in career with the Spartans in 2015, where he registered 64 defensive tackles as well as a quarterback sack and two knockdowns. Miles signed a two-year deal with the club.
Sibley (5’09”, 173 lbs.) spent the last four seasons in the Vikings uniform at Portland State University where he played 42 games. The Decatur, GA native, accumulated an impressive total of 147 defensive tackles, six of which were for losses. Sibley left his mark on the Vikings defensive unit during his stay, as he made 21 knockdowns on top of two forced fumbles and three interceptions, including one returned for a major. Sibley displayed great athletic abilities throughout his collegiate career, he who also played as kick returner the last two seasons at Portland State.
Finley (5’09”, 175 lbs.) played three seasons at the University of Wyoming before making the leap in Canada. In 18 games with the Cowboys, the 25-year-old cornerback collected 32 defensive tackles and made two interceptions, one of which was returned for 51 yards. Finley, a native of Birmingham, AL, inked to a two-year deal.

Tucker (6’04”, 315 lbs.) arrives in Montreal with a rich football background at his young age, as he wore the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns uniformsprior to joining the Alouettes. The 24-year-old tacklepreviously made 48 consecutive starts during his four-year tenure at Slippery Rock University. Tucker was a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Lineman of the year award for the NCAA Division II football. He was also honored as first team All-American by four different organizations. The offensive lineman played most of his career at tackle, but he also saw action at guard at the professional level. Tucker agreed to a two-year deal.

http://en.montrealalouettes.com/2017...layers-roster/

[jerrym]

The Alouettes have also added a bevy of receivers, as well as a QB to their roster: receivers Danny Anthrop, T J Graham, Andrew Opoku, Tobais Palmer, Alex Perizchalski and Kenneth Scott, in addition to quarerback Matthew Shiltz.

Anthrop (6’0″, 196 lbs.) played four seasons for the Purdue University Boilemakers before participating in the 2016 Indianapolis Colts training camp. The 23-year-old completed his college career with 113 receptions good for 1,384 yards, while scoring nine receiving touchdowns in 43 games. The West Lafayette, IN native also returned 19 kickoffs for 339 yards.
Graham (5’11”, 188 lbs.) was drafted in the third round (69th overall) by the Buffalo Bills in 2012, following an impressive collegiate career with the North Carolina State University Wolfpack, where he set a new ACC record with 3,153 kickoff return yards in four seasons, including two for touchdowns. The 27-year-old also caught 99 passes for 1,453 yards and 12 touchdowns. He scored two more majors on punt returns. The Raleigh, NC native also spent time with the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.
Opoku (6’4″, 215 lbs.) displayed his versatility during his collegiate career with the University of Delaware Blue Hens, as he played at both the linebacker and receiver positions during three seasons, after spending a season with the University of Connecticut Huskies. In 45 games at the college level, the 26-year-old athlete cumulated 29 tackles, while catching four passes for 65 yards and one touchdown. He was invited to the Indianapolis Colts training camp in 2016.
Palmer (5’11”, 205 lbs.) caught 91 passes for 1,277 yards and 11 majors with the North Carolina State University Wolfpack, prior to joining the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. The 27-year-old athlete from Pittsboro, NC was also a member of the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers.
Pierzchalski (6’04”, 220 lbs.) spent two seasons with the Ottawa REDBLACKS, prior to joining the Alouettes practice roster last season. The Ottawa, ON native was drafted in the second round, 18th overall, by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 2014 CFL Canadian Draft. In 32 games with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, Pierzchalski amassed 1,617 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 149 catches. The 25-year-old played 29 games throughout his professional career.
Scott (6’3″, 211 lbs.) played his collegiate football with the University of Utah Utes where his 127 career-receptions put him second on the school’s all-time list. The 24-year-old receiver from Fontana, CA amassed 1,464 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. During the Las Vegas Bowl following the 2014 season, he caught six passes for gains of 61 yards.
Shiltz (6’2″, 195 lbs.) played for four seasons with the Butler University Bulldogs. As a starter during his senior year, the 24-year-old completed 218 of his 381 passes, good for 2,713 yards and 19 touchdowns. The St. Charles, IL native also amassed 639 rushing yards, while scoring ten majors on 126 carries during that same season. He completed the season with an average of 304,7 yards of offence per game, which was the fifth best total in the country. He completed his college career with 4,042 passing yards after completing 324 of his 552 passes.

http://en.montrealalouettes.com/2017...ack-positions/