By Francois Ferland,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal – Now in his thirteenth season with the Alouettes, slotback Ben Cahoon continues to stick by his team-first philosophy.
Ask him any day of the year and Cahoon would likely admit that he’d trade all his personal accolades away for another Grey Cup.
The modesty that comes hand-in-hand with Cahoon everywhere he goes is what truly makes him a consummate professional and one of the main pillars of the success of the Alouettes throughout the past decade. In the eyes of Cahoon, every route, catch, touchdown and block are for the greatest interest of the team.
As modest as he may be, however, Cahoon admits that he is very proud of his latest accolade, passing Terry Vaughn for first place on the CFL’s all-time receptions list.
“Heading into the season, I knew that the record was attainable, I just thought it would happen sooner,” said the 38-year old veteran.
It took Cahoon 14 games to reach record his 1,007th catch.
“Looking back on it now, it’s probably a good thing that it took that long (14 games) – it means that the quality of our receivers are just excellent. SJ Green took major steps forward this year, while Jamel Richardson and Kerry Watkins continued to show how valuable they are to this team. I think our receiving corps. gives (Anthony Calvillo) a wide range of options to throw to, “ he said.
His personal analysis, equipped with the expected modesty, completely embodies the ‘Ben Cahoon’ spirit. Heading into another East Division Final, Cahoon doesn’t expect much to change.
“We have a very precise way of doing things offensively; I don’t think we’ll be faced with anything different team-wise.”
One more year?
Head coach Marc Trestman is also a big Cahoon fan.
“ He’s the type of athlete that embodies all the characteristics of a true star,” he said.
“Ben has certain attributes that enable him to be great. He’s courageous, brave, possesses great dexterity and has the ability to run routes with great precision. His practice level is also very strong and applied. You also have to credit Calvillo for some of his success, they’ve been together, building chemistry for a very long period of time,” said Trestman.
During last season’s Grey Cup parade, fans began chanting ‘One more year, one more year!” when Cahoon was introduced to the crowd. It’s clear that fans aren’t ready to let go of Cahoon just yet.
“I was really touched by our fans’ enthusiasm, and they did in fact play a big role in my decision to continue playing. However, my family’s well-being is what really matters at this stage of my life,” he added.
So have you made a decision regarding next season yet?
“It’s way too early to discuss next season, let’s finish this one up first.”
A real athlete, a true professional, there’s no doubt that the Canadian Football Hall of Fame will quickly open its doors for Cahoon – no matter when he decides to let the game he loves go.
The Alouettes will host either the Hamilton Tiger-Cats or the Toronto Argonaut son Nov. 21 at Olympic Stadium at 1 p.m. (RDSHD, TSNHD, NRJ, CJAD)
