SHERBROOKE – The Montreal Alouettes were greeted with surprisingly warm weather on Monday morning, as they took to Bishop’s University’s Coulter Field for back-to-back practices. Players were in full pads for the first practice, which gave way to robust play and some hard hitting. The second practice was played at full speed throughout, producing spectacular plays on this second day of training camp.
The perfect mentor
Entering his 16th CFL season, veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn is at his first training camp with the Alouettes, where he’s quickly become the leader of Anthony Calvillo’s offence. The stability within the coaching staff, coupled with the acquisitions made by the front office during the offseason seem to be paying immediate dividends.
Although we’re only two days into training camp, Glenn is making his presence felt both on and off the field. On the field, he seems to be in mid-season form, threading the needle to his receivers on several occasions. On the sidelines, Glenn is seen working closely with the younger quarterbacks, imparting his wisdom between plays. For the oldest brother of five, the quarterback’s leadership qualities have been evident throughout his illustrious career.
“We’ve got a lot of younger guys in the quarterback group. Just being there for them not only as a mentor, but also to lend an ear and to be able to talk to them about non-football related topics is important,” explained Glenn, as practice concluded.
The secondary firing on all cylinders
Jovon Johnson was locked in throughout the day, drawing several reactions from the crowd thanks to his tight coverage. The former Ottawa REDBLACKS defensive back had 2 interceptions during simulated play, as well as multiple great plays on the ball in 1 on 1 drills. Despite his smaller stature, the 5’9, 180-pound defensive back stood out in a big way on Day 2 of training camp.
Johnson wasn’t the only defensive back who impressed at Coulter Field, as Mitchell White had 2 interceptions of his own in one on one drills. The first was a deep ball in which White made a leaping catch over Corbin Louks, and the second was a diving grab where he anticipated the comeback route thrown by Vernon Adams Jr.
The defensive backs weren’t the only defensive position excelling on Day 2 of camp. Veteran defensive end John Bowman and his crew got to the quarterback on multiple occasions, applying consistent pressure and getting their hands on several thrown balls during simulated play.
A learning period
After playing left tackle during the first day of training camp, Jacob Ruby made the transition over to right guard on Monday morning. Philip Blake filled in for Ruby at left tackle, as the coaching staff is looking to mix it up along the offensive line in order to experiment with different combinations. Flexibility along the offensive line is a little thing that can help certain players crack the roster during training camp.
“It’s only the second day of camp. We want to move guys around and see where they can play. If an injury occurs during the season, it’s better to find that out now than it is during the season,” said Alouettes General Manager and Head Coach, Jim Popp.
Rapid Fire
On the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver Mike Davis got open on numerous occasions due to his crisp route-running, allowing himself to reel in multiple targets… Jerry Rice Jr. also displayed his combination of quickness and catching ability, making several tough grabs throughout the day… Although Davis and Rice Jr. stood out at wide receiver, the catch of the day belonged to Mikhail Davidson, who made a diving, full-extension grab across the middle during simulated play. The first player to congratulate him was none other than S.J. Green who has made those types of catches for quite some time now… Rookie defensive back Victor Hampton also stood out on Monday as he pilfered two passes during skelly competition.
Transactions
Before taking the field, the Alouettes added cornerback Greg Henderson to the roster. The 23 year-old recently finished his college career as a member of the University of Colorado Buffaloes.
Tomorrow
The 2016 Alouettes Training Camp will continue tomorrow at Coulter Field, as the team will jump onto the field for a Walkthrough beginning at 10:00 a.m.
