May 24, 2017

Rookie Camp Report – Day 1

Sherbrooke – The Montreal Alouettes’ rookies took to Bishop’s University’s Coulter Field for the first time Wednesday afternoon, as the team officially kicked off the 2017 football season with the opening day of Rookie Camp.

Making the leap to the Pros
The Alouettes’ faithful fans and members of the media attending this first exercise were treated with high intensity and fast tempo from the get go. It was more than just another day at the office for the majority of the players, as for most of them, this special day marked their first steps in professional football. This was the case for the eight Alouettes selected at the last CFL Canadian Draft in early May. All seemed to be well aware of the opportunity they have of becoming members of a select group and backed it up with hard work and dedication on this first day.

On the defensive side of the ball, General Manager Kavis Reed’s first two draft selections, Fabion Foote and Dondre Wright, displayed great abilities and shined particularly in both position drills and simulated plays. Quebec-native fullback Oumar Touré also appeared very comfortable on the field Wednesday, he who is in familiar territory on Sherbrooke’s Coulter Field.

Great catches
Receivers wrote the storyline on this first day of rookie camp. Some players on the field last played at the collegiate level, as other newcomers bring some professional experience with them and the latter group stole the show on Wednesday. Dynamic receiver Deandre Reaves, who spent a season with the San Diego Chargers, made nice catches during practice. He was sure to get noticed on two spectacular catches he made on deep throws. Receivers Danny Anthop and T.J. Graham also made a good impression. Both athletes have NFL experience and begun their stint with the Alouettes on the right foot by making multiple catches. On the other side of the ball, international linebacker Anthony Sarao caught a deflected pass and returned it to the end zone for a touchdown.

The Head Coach’s impressions
“We are satisfied to see how fast the players were going during a first practice. Their abilities and the competition level were also impressive for players who are dealing with a very abrupt learning curve. At this point, the coaching staff is giving a lot of information to the players, who must assimilate all of it real quickly in order to be well prepared for the next steps in camp,” said Head Coach Jacques Chapdelaine.

Tomorrow
The 2017 Alouettes rookie camp continues on Thursday, as the team will partake in a single practice on Bishop’s University’s Coulter Field at 3:20 p.m.