July 25, 2018

Across the Line of Scrimmage feat. Martin Bédard and Sean Whyte

The CFL is a small league. Players move from one team to another, creating strong rivalries and stronger friendships.

We often compare a football game to war – you hit, you run, you fight, you hurt -, but while the battle is fierce on the field, the brotherhood is what really matters off the gridiron.

Across the line of scrimmage features two players who have crossed paths over the years. This week, we spoke to Martin Bédard and his good friend Sean Whyte. The two special teams stars were teammates for four seasons in Montreal and neighbours in the same apartment building in Laval. What happens in Laval, stays… in this article for everyone to read! Sorry not sorry.

First impressions?

Martin on Sean : He’s a little joker. Emphasis on the little. But I try not to judge people based on their size.

Sean on Martin : I was scared to death. I thought he was the Russian guy from Rocky at first. Then, he started following me everywhere I went and I realized he was a really good guy.

 
What annoys him?

Martin on Sean : When things don’t go like they are supposed to, it gets on his nerves. He also hates people who take advantage of others and narcissists. He’s a really chill guy though.

Sean on Martin : Stupidity. He also has road rage. I stopped riding with him to practice because I’d get there angry every morning.

 
Does he show any signs of OCD?

Martin on Sean: Not really…

*Later in the conversation, Martin mentioned how much Sean loooooooves his Toyota Venza (Big Pimpin’) and that he likes to remind people that it is powered by a V6 engine. Like, all the time. Does that qualify as OCD?

 
Sean on Martin: Oh gosh. He has so many weird habits. He has to drink a protein shake and fish oils every night before going to bed. He also pops vitamins all the time. The night before a game, he has to have steak. We would go to The Keg and he would order the Keg Omega (it’s not even on the menu): a 24 oz steak and he would eat it nearly raw.

Your best inside joke?

Martin on Sean: We laughed so much together. That’s all we did… But, Sean has a pointy nose, look at him you’ll notice, so he never liked when photographers took pictures of him from the side. He would go see them and tell them to stop beaking him. I made fun of him and when he noticed, I’d tease him: Hey, that guy just beaked you!

*Beaking. Ask Sean about it.

Sean on Martin: There’s too many! For example, when we traveled for away games, we purposely screamed like little girls when we got to our hotel room as if we were super excited to be sharing a room on a road trip.

 
What nickname did you give him?

Martin on Sean : We call each other breh. All the time. *Spelling is very important here, breh.

 
Sean on Martin : (Aside from breh) Marty the one-man party, Fesse or Ma Belle (in French). He would say Ah yark !  when I called him Ma Belle.

*Yea, we kind of understand Marty on that one.

What nickname did he give you?

Martin on Sean : He calls me Martin. With a French accent and everything.

Sean on Martin : My little kicker. We gave each other so many nicknames. It really just went with how we felt.

 
His favourite expression?

Martin on Sean : “It’s better to be pissed off than pissed on.” *Right…
“Sometimes she goes, sometimes she doesn’t. This time, she didn’t go. That’s the way she goes.” *…And then what? Apparently, this saying represents most of the conversations these two had.
“It’s time for turkey!” *You gotta be French to understand this one.

Sean on Martin : Just a bunch of French curse words.

 
*We obviously can’t write them here, but we can confirm that Sean knows them all.

His favourite restaurant in Montreal?

Martin on Sean : La Belle et la Bœuf in Laval.

 
Sean on Martin : La Belle et la Bœuf in Laval.

*They said that they have plans for Friday… Now you know where to find ‘em.

If he was a Marvel superhero, which one would he be?

Martin on Sean : Professor X. He’s a brain. Or, you know the one who doesn’t seem tough at all but he can shoot lasers through his glasses?

 
*Cyclops, it’s Cyclops Marty. You’re welcome.

Sean on Martin : The Hulk. He’s super sweet, but when he gets angry, you better move out of his way.

If he didn’t play football, what sport would he practice?

Martin on Sean : Sean is an all-around athlete. He was part of Team Canada in soccer and rugby. It’s hard to believe considering his size, but he’s tough.

Sean on Martin : He told me he was good at baseball as a kid. I would go with that.

 
His doppelganger?

Martin on Sean : He doesn’t have one. He’s unique.

*Hum… We beg to differ.

Sean on Martin : The Russian guy from Rocky.

Does he make his bed?

Martin on Sean : Sometimes. He’s definitely not a messy dude.

Sean on Martin : Absolutely not. If he has to clean, he’ll do it, but otherwise, no.

 
The best moment you shared?

Martin on Sean : Our endless dart games.

Sean on Martin : After a game in Vancouver, our bye-week was starting and Marty was going through a breakup, so I told him to stay with me and my family out West. We booked the penthouse at the Fairmont in Whistler even if we couldn’t afford it. Just ‘cause.

 
The name of his talk show?

Martin on Sean : The Jokeshow.

Sean on Martin : What grinds my gears with Martin Bédard

What makes him a great teammate?

Martin on Sean : He is super positive. Always. He’s also a very inclusive guy who loves to be around his people.

Sean on Martin : He’s accountable. He never wants to let people down and he gets angry at himself when he’s not perfect. He plays with his heart and he will have your back no matter what.

 
P.S. Sean, we know you kept your 514 number just because you find it more sophisticated. Busted.