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Joining Alouettes a ‘dream come true’ for QB Arnaud Desjardins

Former Laval Rouge et Or quarterback Arnaud Desjardins admitted that he had turned the page on football. Desjardins, who is studying to become a lawyer, began his internship at Davies’ office in downtown Montreal. While at the office, he got a surprise call from Als general manager Danny Maciocia who offered him a contract.

“I got a call from Danny, and I had no idea what he wanted to talk about,” Desjardins explained after his first day of practice on Monday. “I had really turned the page (on football), so to get that little spark to be able to live out my dream, I had to talk to my employer at Davies about that. They were good about it. I have all their support and I’m thankful that I’m able to be here.

“I realize (Davies) is making exceptions for me (laughs). I hope people don’t think this is normal in any way. I’m really fortunate.”

Desjardins had one of the best collegiate careers in U Sports history. The 26-year-old won two Vanier Cups while at Laval and he was named the RSEQ’s most valuable player on two occasions.

Despite his decorated collegiate career, Desjardins went undrafted in the 2025 CFL Canadian Draft.

Maciocia and the rest of the Alouettes brass interviewed Desjardins at the 2025 CFL Combine in Regina, Saskatchewan. Even though they didn’t select him the following April, the positive interaction they had with him left an impression.

“Jason (Maas) and I had a conversation about 48 hours ago,” Maciocia explained. “We recalled how impressed we were by Arnaud’s interview when we were at the CFL Combine (in 2025). If there’s a young player who deserves this opportunity after his brilliant career (at Laval) where he won two Vanier Cups, it’s him. We wanted to give him this opportunity.”

The Alouettes had some openings at quarterback because they decided to part ways with Dresser Winn and E.J. Perry last week. Anthony Brown Jr., who is still on the roster, suffered an injury late last week and is being reevaluated. Davis Alexander and Dustin Crum quickly became the only healthy bodies on the roster, so Desjardins and James Morgan, who started games for the Als last year, were brought in.

“When you step on the field here, you always have a chance to make the team,” Maciocia explained. “That’s the way we operate. The opportunity will be there for him, but he has to do the rest.”

Desjardins didn’t take any live reps against the defence on Monday, which makes sense considering he had the playbook for less than a day before stepping onto the field for the first time. He should get opportunities as the week progressed, and Maciocia added that he should see some action in Friday’s preseason opener against the Ottawa Redblacks.

“This is a dream come true for me,” Desjardins explained. “This is something I’ve wanted since I was a kid. It’s a big challenge. This is a good team and I’m already behind when it comes to knowing the playbook, but I’m going to do my best to take advantage of this opportunity.”