August 9, 2021

Half to Zema, Côté wins the kicking position.

Very calm by nature, David Côté’s pulse couldn’t help but rise when he learned that he had been chosen to fill the position of Field goal kicker.

I was very happy; all the stress had been lifted from my shoulder. The anticipation that comes with the last day of cuts is huge and you never really know how it’s going to go, so when I got to the team meeting and found out I wasn’t getting cut, I was so relieved. It was a great feeling.

The battle for the kicker position was one of the highlights during training camp this year, and it was also a crucial one for the Als.

While the 2019 season was one of the most memorable (may I remind you that we emerged as one of the CFL’s biggest surprises), there were still plenty of questions about the kicking game. With veteran Boris Bede being traded to Toronto in February 2020 for Canadian Tyler Crapigna, who was then released midway through camp, all eyes turned to Canadian David Cote and Australian Joseph Zema as the only kickers on our roster.

I didn’t put any pressure on myself, but I was happy with my performance because it got me a place in the team.

 After three seasons with the Université de Laval Rouge et Or, Côté had the chance to try his hand at the professional level in the CFL’s Eastern territory.  A camp that went well to his great surprise.

I expected the professional world to be more individualistic, everyone wants their own position, so it’s every man for himself. But the atmosphere was really great throughout camp. Even though it was constantly changing from week to week, everyone was having a great time and you could see that the guys were looking forward to getting back on the field and playing football.

 Although he still has one season of college eligibility left with the Université de Laval Rouge et Or, he wasn’t counting too much on that possibility. Plan A was to arrive at training camp in top shape to prove to general manager Danny Maciocia that he had what it took to make the team.

In the beginning, there were five kickers on the field, so we had no choice but to go out there and give it our all. As each position had many good players, the competition was strong.

The kicker had an outstanding year in 2019. The former Rouge et Or player led the RSEQ conference with 108 points in 2019, 72 of which came from his conference-high 24 field goals. He was also named a first-team RSEQ All-Star and was invited to the Hula Bowl last January, although the 2020 season was cancelled. At his best, he made three field goals in his team’s 15-13 win. Not to mention the years he helped the Rouge et Or win two national championships in 2016 and 2018.

But if he’s getting so accustomed to the professional field, it’s because, like his predecessor, Boris Bede was also shaped by the Rouge et Or.

At Université Laval, we had good coaching and support, regardless of our position.  He (Boris Bede) did a great job when he was in Montreal, so we’re going to try to follow that same model.

In recent years, the Alouettes have relied on one man for the kicking duties.  This will not be the case in 2021, as David Côté will handle the field goals and Joseph Zema will handle the punting. With the chemistry already in play, Côté is confident that this duo will lead the Alouettes to wins.

Already to this day, we have very nice complicity. We’re getting to know each other and we’re both pretty calm and quiet guys. Confirms the young, devoted kicker. So, we get along very well together, and I think that as the weeks ago by it will get stronger. We keep pushing each other and helping each other to be the best kicking duo possible.

 Naturally, Côté now hopes that the Alouettes can benefit from his passion.  He dreams of helping the Montreal club win its first championship since 2010.

 It’s like a childhood dream come true. When I was a kid, I supported the Alouettes a lot, so this is a pretty special experience. Especially when my family and friends are not too far away.

 Côté will proudly perform field goals ball during our first home game presented by Telus on August 27 and doing so in the team’s tricolour uniform is a real icing on the cake.

I’m very excited to be wearing the Alouettes uniform and I’m look forward to giving the team my 100%. I think there’s something great that’s been building with the Alouettes over the last few years and I’m very happy to be a part of it.

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