By Richard Obrand,
MontrealAlouettes.com
St-Jean-sur-Richelieu – Since their second coming in the CFL began in 1996, the Alouettes have had little difficulty establishing themselves as a dominant organization both on and off the field. Making Grey Cup appearances in five out of 12 seasons and countless sell-outs at Percival Molson Stadium are all the evidence one would need to agree.
After finishing the 2007 season with an uncharacteristic 8-10 record, however, and hiring an entirely new coaching staff this season, there are whispers that the dominance that was once possessed by the Als’ has disappeared.
As the early days of training camp continue, there are those who are noticing the absence of former players rather than the new additions among the 85 camp participants.
Although the departures of veteran players like safety Étienne Boulay, linebacker Timothy Strickland and defensive tackle Dario Romero may add to the question marks already surrounding the team, it’s the new guys who are quick to white them out.
After spending his entire five-year career wearing Saskatchewan green and white, linebacker Reggie Hunt jumped at the opportunity to don Alouettes red, white and blue.
“I’ve always had respect for this organization and I’m excited to be a part of it,” Hunt said. “Coming here and meeting all the guys has been great.”
Hunt isn’t the only one exchanging green for red, as wide receiver Jamel Richardson also made his training camp debut this week.
“Jamel will add depth to our receiving corps,” said Alouettes general manager Jim Popp when he signed Richardson last March. “We’re confident he can be a key element in our offence this year.”
Among those under the watchful eye of the Montreal fan base is new head coach Marc Trestman.
Although he’s a CFL rookie, Trestman brings a wealth of professional football experience with him to Montreal and is showing he’s a quick learner as he picks up the nuances of the Canadian game.
“We’re going to do the best we can, I like the effort our guys have displayed early on in camp,” the coach said.
Trestman has already made indications of what he intends to fix from last year’s disappointing season.
“We have to work on protecting Anthony (Calvillo) – that’s one of our main concerns.”
Though training camp is only three days old, Trestman already senses something special with this year’s version of the Alouettes.
“They’ve showed great enthusiasm thus far, I love it.”
