By Richard Obrand
MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal – It was only a year ago that Dru Grigson hung up his phone at his home in Chicago, packed up his entire life and headed north to Montreal where he would join the Alouettes as a scout. Now, a year later, Grigson is doing it all over again.
Late last month, the Alouettes announced that Grigson, 28, has accepted a job as a scout with the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL.
This marks Grigson’s second go-round in the NFL, as prior to joining the Alouettes he served as a volunteer scout for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005-2006, with whom he primarily recruited at the U.S. college level.
Long recognized as having one of the best scouting departments in football under the direction of general manager Jim Popp, the Alouettes have proved a breeding ground for talented scouts to learn their trade.
Former Als’ recruiter Brock Sunderland, now with the New York Jets, knows all too well the responsibilities that come with being a CFL scout.
“We cover every league possible. Whether it’s the CFL, AFL, NFL, CFL, CIS, NCAA or NIFL, we’re there. We have a large amount of responsibility in the CFL, whereas in the NFL we’re divided into regions,” said Sunderland, who served as Montreal’s scouting director prior to moving on to the Jets in 2007.
Sunderland credits the Alouettes for serving as a hotbed for up-and-coming NFL scouts.
“It helps when you’re working for a winning team like the Alouettes. Every year we had a shot at the Grey Cup, it was a great learning experience for me,” he said.
Grigson was quick to agree.
“We have a lot of responsibility, not only are we scouting players league-wide, but we’re also negotiating contracts, dealing with player agents, and signing (guys). With the amount of people we have, we have more of a responsibility than NFL scouts,” Grigson said.
“We wear many hats in this business,” he added.
Grigson’s scouting career began in 2003 following a free-agent tryout as a defensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings and a cup of coffee with the Ottawa Renegades in 2004. Despite getting into a pre-season game with Ottawa against the Alouettes, he was unable to crack a pro roster and decided to enter the world of football management.
He joined his brother Ryan, who was working as the director of scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles.
“He was extremely excited for me. We’re seven years apart so he serves as a mentor to me for everything. He put this all together; he taught me how to scout and helped me develop a love for the game,” he said.
In 2007, he received a phone call from Popp offering him a job with the Als. Despite spending less than a year with the organization, Grigson believes Popp played an integral role in his development as a scout.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity or team. Jim is a Hall of Fame general manager and (fellow Montreal scout Uzooma Okeke) is a Hall of Fame lineman. They both prepared me for the business,” he said.
“Jim was vital to everything. If I could work for another man like him I’d be very lucky.”
