May 31, 2017

Training camp report – May 31

Sherbrooke – Mother Nature was not friendly to the Montreal Alouettes during their fourth day of training camp at Coulter Field on the campus of Bishop’s University. Wet weather shortened the second of two practices held by Jacques Chapdelaine and his staff on Wednesday.

Defence’s turn to shine
Defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe was hard at work, making sure his men are in top shape. Alouettes fans can count on a couple of familiar faces this season, but there are some rookies who will be called upon to step up as well.

In his sixth training camp with the club, Kyries Hebert brought his usual intensity to the workouts. Chip Cox is another name that Alouettes fans should recognize. The veteran was hard to miss during the practices, showing off his excellent range while covering receivers from sideline to sideline.

The play of the day belonged to the secondary, as Donald Unamba Jr. made an incredible, leaping interception in the end zone. In his first year in Montreal, Unamba is certainly making a case to stick around with the team. As he has been doing throughout training camp, defensive-back Greg Henderson was giving the quarterbacks some trouble by being all over their targeted receivers. Chris Ackie is another player who has been making plays. On one occasion, Ackie wrapped-up Nik Lewis on the goal line, preventing a sure touchdown.

Rookie receiver feels right at home
The Alouettes’ 4th round pick (29th overall) in the 2017 CFL Canadian Draft has faced his fair share of adversity these past years. After being named to the Canada West all-star team following his 2015 campaign with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, Alex Morrison missed almost all of the 2016 season to a broken arm.

The imposing-yet-agile receiver has been performing well at his first training camp with the Alouettes and he seems to be adjusting well to the professional style of play. When asked about how he thinks the camp is going, the Sault Ste. Marie, ON native was able to answer local reporters in French, as he is perfecting bilingual. “I had a feeling the Alouettes were going to draft me. My family is francophone and when I found out that the Alouettes drafted me, they were all ecstatic. It was quite the experience and it was a great day for me,” said Morrison.

Two players hang up their cleats
National offensive lineman Jake Piotrowski announced his retirement from professional football on Wednesday morning. The 25-year-old appeared in 49 games over three seasons in the CFL, all with the Alouettes. International defensive tackle Tyler Kuder also decided to call it a career on Wednesday.

Intra-squad game on Saturday!
The team will be playing its annual intra-squad game on Saturday, June 3 at 3:00 p.m. on Coulter Field at Bishop’s University (2600 Rue College, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 1Z7). Fans of the Alouettes are looking forward to this special day, as they’ll be able to meet the players and coaches of their favorite football team. Admission to the game is free for all.

Photos and videos available
Media can download and publish photos and videos from rookie camp by visiting www.MontrealAlouettes.com/media.

Tomorrow
The 2017 Alouettes training camp continues on Thursday, June 1, as the team will partake in two practices on Bishop’s University’s Coulter Field at 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.