The Montreal Alouettes 2018 Mise-o-jeu training camp continued on Thursday at Parc olympique and the players did not remove their foot from the accelerator during a practice that lasted close to four hours.
Receiver Seydou Junior Haidara made the catch of the day when he jumped in the air to land on his back with the ball in his hands after quarterback Matt Shiltz threw the pass while rolling out. His teammates cheered the former Université Laval standout following the play.
Haidara was often a target today. He demonstrated his mental toughness as his spectacular catch came immediately after tipping a pass into the hands of defensive back Dominique Ellis.
“We lacked a bit of synchronism but it was a good day. The guys practiced hard over a very long time and our head coach was happy with us. We see that there is more and more cohesion between us,” said Haidara.
He was also seen catching tennis balls on the sideline with teammate Chris Williams following practice. The balls came out extremely fast out of a machine destined to test players’ reflexes.
Quick hits
Kickers Boris Bede and Quinn Van Gylswyk practiced their punts together. From one end of the field to the other, they kicked balls for several minutes … An Alouettes practice would not be the same without a nice catch from Eugene Lewis. He has only one thing on his mind and keeps giving himself every chance to succeed … Defensive back Greg Henderson was solid on defence. He made an interception at the beginning of the day … Oumar Touré made some beautiful routes with the ball. He ran without any hesitation… Receiver Stefan Logan continues to give headaches to his teammates on defence as he repeatedly avoided tackles and ran with the football… Running back Amir Carlisle keeps demonstrating his quickness as he distances himself from defensive players with great busts of speed.
Territorial exemptions
The Alouettes will have a bit of help throughout the season, as three players from the Châteauguay Raiders in the Quebec Junior Football League will give a hand to the team throughout the season as territorial exemptions. Receiver Christopher Valentine took part in Thursday’s practice, while offensive lineman Joven Richardson and defensive back Dayrek Valme should join the troops shortly.
Kirby Fabien and Mitchell Bell added to roster
The Alouettes added national offensive lineman Kirby Fabien as well as international offensive lineman Mitchell Bell to the roster.
Fabien (6’6”, 305 lbs.) was drafted in the first round (seventh overall) by the BC Lions in the 2012 CFL Canadian Draft. He played 77 games in the CFL, including 64 as a starter, all with the Lions. The 27-year-old Calgary, AB native helped protect quarterback Jonathon Jennings, who had a break out season in 2016, his first full campaign as a starter, allowing him to pass for over 5,000 yards. He also helped the Lions gain over 2,000 rushing yards that same season.
White (6’3″, 330 lbs.) became a member of the Oakland Raiders practice squad in 2015 after completing his collegiate career with the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs. The 25-year-old was also invited to the Carolina Panthers mini-camp in 2017. He also played for the Iowa Barnstormers in the Indoor Football League.
Upcoming schedule
The following is the Alouettes schedule for the next few days. For a full schedule, click HERE.
Friday, May 25
8:30 a.m. – Practice on the field located between Olympic Stadium and Saputo Stadium
Sunday, May 27
1:30 p.m. – Practice on the field located between Olympic Stadium and Saputo Stadium
Monday, May 28
8:30 a.m. – First practice on the field located between Olympic Stadium and Saputo Stadium
3:30 p.m. – Second practice on the field located between Olympic Stadium and Saputo Stadium
Tuesday, May 29
8:30 a.m. – First practice on the field located between Olympic Stadium and Saputo Stadium
3:30 p.m. – Second practice on the field located between Olympic Stadium and Saputo Stadium
