By François Ferland,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal – There’s no doubt that the Montreal Alouettes’ receiving corps. played a huge role in their 21-18 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in last month’s 98th Grey Cup. For that, fans of the Alouettes have Marcus Brady to thank.
The San Diego native just finished his second season as the team’s receivers coach following a seven-year CFL playing career that saw him suit up at quarterback for the Alouettes and the Toronto Argonauts. Brady played the latter part of his career with the Alouettes as Anthony Calvillo’s backup. It was during this two year span between 2006-08 that he came up with the idea of becoming a coach.
“I had just become a free-agent during the spring of 2009 and I decided to embrace the idea of becoming a coach,” said Brady.
Hungry to learn
“I’ve been interested in the technical and strategic aspects of football throughout my entire career. I’ve been a quarterback all through my career, starting from when I was just eight years old. I’ve always had the willingness to learn more. There’s always something to learn, regardless of what side of the field you play on,” he added.
Brady, who resides in Atlanta during the off-season, says that the transition from a player to a coach wasn’t a very difficult one.
“My experience as a quarterback really helped me understand the little things it takes to be a successful receiver in the CFL. I always had a keen eye when looking at specific receivers’ techniques; how they ran, what time of route runner they were. I made it my job to make sure everything was running smoothly on offence,” said Brady.
As a student of the game, it came as no surprise that Brady is also a big admirer of Calvillo.
“(Calvillo) and I communicate very well. He’s a truly remarkable athlete with a fantastic work ethic. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll be playing for a few more years,” he added.
Brady also offered praise for head coach Marc Trestman. “His knowledge of the game is so profound, he’s always making changes, always offering advice.”
Brady hasn’t year discovered where his path as a coach will take him ,however, don’t be surprised to see him as an offensive coordinator at some point throughout his career.
Note: Throughout his playing career with the Cal State Matadors from 1998-2001, Brady set team records for completed passes with 1,036, passing yards with 12,445 and touchdowns with 109.
