By Noah Sidel,
MontrealAlouettes.com
After becoming a CIS champion with the Laval Rouge et Or, Phillip Gauthier went on to play an important role on the Alouettes’ special teams for close to two seasons before being traded to the Tiger-Cats. MontrealAlouettes.com caught up with Gauthier…
How did it feel to join the Alouettes coming out of university?
Playing for the Alouettes right out of university was a huge surprise. To be honest, I never even thought I’d have the opportunity to play professional football, let alone receive an invitation to the CFL Evaluation Camp in 2005. I was always the kind of person who just loved to play sports, so when the opportunity arose to be paid to play football in front of my friends and family in my hometown, how could I say no? What more could a 25-year old ask for?
Was it special to get to attend your first training camp with your close friend, Matthieu Proulx?
Heading into my first training camp with the Alouettes, I knew I would have to prove myself. I really had no idea what to expect, but if there was one thing that was for certain, is that I was going to suffer both physically and mentally.
But I had a little bit of an advantage over the other rookies because I wasn’t alone. When times were tough, or I needed help overcoming an obstacle at camp, I had my good friend Matthieu Proulx to rely on for support. Sure our love for the game was put to the test, but we were always there for each other, no matter what.
What was it like when you went to Hamilton?
In the middle of the 2006 season, I was traded to Hamilton. To be honest, it wasn’t really a bad situation. It didn’t take long to adapt to the city and I was still being paid to have fun. Even though the team wasn’t performing well on the field, off the field was a different story. We were a very close-knit group of guys, so I saw being in Hamilton as a good opportunity.
I quickly became very attached to the Tiger-Cats, even with our sub-par performances year after year. In my opinion, our record was no indication of how talented our team really was. Marcel Desjardins was always there to listen to what I had to say and it’s unfortunate that we aren’t together anymore, but the 2009 version of the Tiger-Cats is what we always hoped to build together some day.
What was your best experience as a pro football player?
I really cherish my time spent in the CFL. I always had one goal and that was to play three solid seasons, a goal that I accomplished! But it would have been great to have played an extra two or three years.
Playing in the 93rd Grey Cup in Vancouver with the Als is something I’ll never forget, even if we came out empty handed. Still, regardless of the outcome it’ll always be the highlight of my professional career.
What are you up to now?
In my eyes, football serves as a lifelong education. It’s been a few months since I’ve joined my family business, GMS Security and I’ve realized that there are some similarities between my current profession and football.
Each and every day, I find myself applying lessons I learned in football to my life as a businessman. Without a doubt, football has definitely contributed in large amounts to my evolution as a person and it will always be a part of me.
