By François Ferland,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal – In light of what quarterback Adrian McPherson brought to the table in the Alouettes’ 27-6 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats two weeks ago, head coach Marc Trestman had this to say.
“After what we saw during his latest outing, we now feel a lot more comfortable should Anthony go down again,” said Trestman.
His performance against the Tiger-Cats is proof enough of how much McPherson has grown since joining the Alouettes in 2008. In his first start of the season, McPherson completed 21-of-37 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown all while rushing for 121 yards on 16 attempts.
We have confidence in him
McPherson’s outing against the Tiger-Cats was the third – and best – start of his career.
“I knew what was at stake during that game. Given what had happened the week before against BC (a 38-17 loss) and the fact that Hamilton was on a four-game win-streak, I knew I had to step up,” said the six-foot-three, 220 lbs quarterback.
Coach Milanovich always has us well prepared, especially against the type of defence Hamilton would throw at us,” he added. “We felt that Adrian was in full control during the Hamilton game and that he played to his abilities,” said Milanovich.
Though he spent the first nine weeks of the season on the injured list, McPherson showed few signs of rust, reminding the Montreal faithful why he’s viewed as the successor to Anthony Calvillo’s throne.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence in him,” admitted Milanovich. He’s strong, sturdy, he has a great arm and he’s equally as dangerous when he takes off and runs because he’s so fast and not easy to tackle.” The one area he has to improve on is his technique; we’d like him to garner more control of his passes and just be more consistent overall,” added Milanovich.
Persistent
McPherson also has the attitude that’s needed for a backup quarterback. His patience throughout his time with the Alouettes while waiting for the day Calvillo steps aside is something that rarely goes unnoticed. Even Calvillo stood in the same waiting room while Tracy Ham was on his way out.
“I’ve always given my best since I arrived in Montreal. I haven’t lost sight of the fact that this is Anthony’s team either. He’s the one leading us onto the field and leading our offence every week. I’ve learned a lot from him and look forward to continuing the process, said McPherson” I know that the grass isn’t necessarily greener elsewhere and I find it comforting to know they have confidence in me.”
McPherson also mentioned that the waiting hasn’t been so difficult. “I’ve always been very patient when it comes to my career,” he said. As proof, after being drafted and released by the New Orleans Saints in 2005, he played for three different Arena Football Teams before the Als expressed interest in him.
“I like the CFL,” he convincingly said. It’s the kind of football that fits me like a glove.”
