Montreal, July 22, 2021 – The water might go in the opposite direction when he flushes, but clearly, when Joseph Zema kicks the football in Montreal, it spins in the same direction as in his native Australia.
First pick of the Alouettes in the last global draft, the Australian kicker is doing a great job on punts since the beginning of training camp. There is great competition at the kicker position and no indication yet if the team will dress one or two kickers per game.
“With that many special teams guys at camp, the competition sure helps each other improve. That will allow us to get the best players out there,” said Zema. “I’ve had some experience in the AAF and at NFL mini camps. I gathered information there and will take from it to get the best chance to be a part of the team.”
The 26-year-old kicker has been adapting to the new dimensions of the Canadian football field and believes that he can use certain Canadian rules to his advantage.
“The field is wider and longer, but I am getting used to it pretty quickly. It’s a small adjustment and I am looking forward to take advantage of it. I like the rules like the onside punts. I’ll be able to use my Aussie tricks that I’m used to doing. Yesterday, I was practicing banana balls.”
Currently confined to a hotel room since his arrival in Montreal, Zema is eager to discover what Montreal has to offer.
“I am from Melbourne and I find that Montreal is like a European Melbourne. Many places remind me of home. I’ve heard some good things about Montreal and I’m looking forward to discovering several places, including the Formula 1 Grand Prix race track,” Zema added.
Rapid fire
Receivers Eugene Lewis and BJ Cunningham continue to catch anything thrown in their direction. Short or long passes, the two athletes are reliable day after day… Defensive lineman Curtis Cothran followed his player really well when he made Chris Osei-Kusi drop the ball in a one-on-one drill… There is definitely chemistry between quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. and receiver Rashaun Simonise. Since the beginning of camp they have been producing together… Japanese running back Taku Lee has showed us that he is able to amass several yards on punt returns. He is extremely fast… Quarterback Broc Rutter passed to Régis Cibasu who won a few yards before crossing the goal line during simulations.
Transactions
The Alouettes announced Thursday that the club added American quarterback Nick Tiano to the roster. The team released quarterback Darius James-Peterson and linebacker Frédéric Chagnon.
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