By Daniel Smajovits
MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal – It was back to the offence for the Alouettes as they rounded out the 2009 CFL Canadian Draft by picking Benoît Boulanger, a running back from the Université de Sherbrooke and Ryan Mousseau, a centre from Ottawa.
For the Alouettes, they drafted more then they expected with Boulanger, as along with his prowess on the field, he was nominated for the Russ Jackson Student-Athlete Community Service Award, an annual prize given to the collegiate player who excelled in both his studies and had a prominent presence in the community as well.
Benoît Boulanger
While managing a hectic football schedule, Boulanger achieved a GPA of 4.25 out of 4.3 in his last semester as a student.
His nomination came also due to the fact that during his tenure at the Université de Sherbrooke, he accepted the role as the ambassador for the “De Facto” tobacco prevention program, tutored fellow members of his football team as well as made visits to sick children at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Sherbrooke.
He was also involved in a fundraising campaign for the Fondation Québécoise du Cancer and volunteered for Operation Red Nose.
When combined with other picks Dylan Steenbergen, Martin Bédard, and Matt Singer, Boulanger will go a long way in helping the team’s rushing game. Even though the rushing attack has been consistently improving over the past three seasons, including cracking the 2,000-yard barrier last year, it is still struggling to break into the top tier of the league.
The size and versatility of Boulanger, coupled with his dedication to the game will give him an edge to compete at first, for a roster spot on special teams, and perhaps one day, in the backfield.
Ryan Mousseau
For Ryan Mousseau, he is joining a team whose incredible success over the past decade has been built around the centre position. Luckily for him, he will be able to grow under the tutelage of Bryan Chiu, arguably one of the greatest Montreal Alouettes of all time.
An added bonus could potentially be down the road for Mousseau as Chiu is entering his 13th CFL season – although retirement is not yet on the table for the veteran, with enough work and dedication, Mousseau has the opportunity to become the eventual heir to the anchor spot of the offensive line.
Mousseau, who began his college career as a member of the Concordia Stingers before transferring to Ottawa comes back to Montreal to join a very impressive draft class which is chock-full of weapons aimed at moulding the future of the offensive line.
With Boulanger in the backfield, and the versatility of Bédard at either tight end or fullback, the 2009 CFL Canadian Draft has provided an influx of youth and talent to the offence as a whole, and it is only a matter of time until the rushing attack becomes an even more feared weapon in the Alouettes’ arsenal.
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