By Jack Bedell,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Hammond, LA – Last week I had the chance to attend practices at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL. What a blast it was to watch some of the finest young football players in North America going full force after each other!
The real attraction of Senior Bowl week for me is all the star-watching, though.
If you could imagine a professional football Disney World, the Senior Bowl would come pretty close. Coaches and GMs from every NFL, CFL, and indoor football league fill the stands at practice and walk around the hotel lobby looking for conversations all week.
Being a CFL fan way down here in south Louisiana, it’s truly a rare treat to rub shoulders with so many CFL dignitaries. And I definitely soaked it up.
At Wednesday’s practices, I got the chance to speak with Danny Maciocia, Milt Stegall, Richie Hall, Chris Jones, and a host of other coaches and front office guys. They were all as gracious and genuine as could be, and it was a real pleasure getting the chance to talk some football with each of them.
The highlight of my week came just as the morning practice was breaking up, however.
After having a long, enjoyable chat with Edmonton’s new head man, Richie Hall, I shook his hand and turned to head out for lunch only to walk right into Marc Trestman.
Since I never had the chance to introduce myself to Trestman during Grey Cup Week, it was quite a treat to run into him in Mobile.
Let me tell you, everything you hear about him being a kind, personable, and attentive person is absolutely true. In just a two-minute encounter, he managed to make me feel like a valued member of the Alouettes family with his courtesy and with the care he took to let me know he was familiar with what I’d done for the team.
If the story ended there, I would’ve left the Senior Bowl practices an even bigger fan of the Als organization and of Coach Trestman. But it didn’t – it gets even better.
Outside the stadium while I was standing on the curb checking through phone messages and emails, I saw a van turn around in the street and come back into the parking lot.
When the van pulled up, Trestman rolled the window down and called me over to meet coaches Scott Squires and Andy Bischoff from his staff.
I was truly amazed that these men, heading to lunch after a very long morning of practices and meetings, would take the time to swing their car around to say hello to me. I still am, actually.
It might seem like a simple act of kindness, but it’s much more. It’s the kind of lesson I try to teach my sons every day – to make decisions, no matter how small, and no matter who’s watching, that show the kind of person you are, that show your values.
For me, it’s also the reason I know the Als will keep winning, and keep winning the right way…
