By François Ferland
MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal – Friday night has all the makings of a Hollywood movie, or maybe even a fairy tale, as Anthony Calvillo and the Alouettes get set to face the Toronto Argonauts at Percival Molson Stadium.
All the elements for a historic evening are in place: Calvillo will break the record for total career CFL touchdown passes, he’ll do it against the team that Damon Allen, with whom he currently shares the mark, spent the final years of his illustrious career, and the exploit will take place on the same night that the Alouettes honour Ben Cahoon, one of the most popular figures in Alouettes history and Calvillo’s favourite target over the last 13 years. What’s more, all of this will be happening on the eve of Cahoon’s 39th birthday.
An evening he’s been looking forward to
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Cahoon and Calvillo have formed an unbreakable bond over the years. |
“I can’t wait to be back in Montreal!” exclaimed Cahoon when reached in his native Utah, where he now works as a receivers coach at Brigham Young University, his alma matter. Cahoon will return to Montreal accompanied by his family, including his four children, aged four to thirteen.
“I’m excited to see Anthony and my other former teammates. It’s also going to be nice to see the Alouettes fans again, and to salute them. I’m sure the memories will be rushing through my head come Friday.”
Cahoon saw the highlights from the Alouettes’ 39-25 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on TV Saturday, during which Calvillo threw for five touchdowns, tying Allen’s record of 394 in the process.
Again, what an amazing course of events, given that Calvillo has now set the table for an evening that will mark the Alouettes’ rich history in gold letters.
“Anthony deserves all the success that he’s experiencing right now,” continued Cahoon, who will almost surely hear the crowd cry out Cahooooon! when he steps back onto the field Friday, as he did after every catch he made at Percival Molson Stadium over his 13-year career.
“I never doubted that Anthony would beat Allen’s record, and I’m convinced that he’s going to go on to break them all. It’s only a matter of time.”
Cahoon has an unwavering respect for Calvillo – 61 of his 65 career touchdown receptions were thrown by the latter – and the two have formed an unbreakable bond over the years.
“Anthony has worked hard to become the quarterback he is today,” said Ben. “I don’t know anyone in the league who works as hard as he does. He’s often been on the receiving end of a lot of unfair criticism, but he’s never let it get to him, recognizing instead that it’s just something that comes with the job, and using his energy to overcome the challenges. He’s demonstrated that beyond any doubt.”
“I consider myself privileged to have been able to play by his side for as long as I did. Anthony is a true professional in every respect, and deserves every one of the accolades bestowed upon him,” continued Cahoon, whose admiration for Anthony doesn’t end at his exploits as a football player. “He’s also a wonderful husband and father. He’s attentive and responsible.”
Happy where he is
Cahoon is living peacefully in his new life. “I feel as though I ended my playing career at the right time,” he reiterated.
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Cahoon was named the Most Valuable Canadian twice at the Grey Cup, once in 2003 and once in 2009. |
Over the course of his 13-year, 224-game career in an Alouettes uniform, Cahoon set a team record with his 13 301 career receiving yards, and a CFL record with his 1 017 receptions. He’s also won three Grey Cups (2002, 2009 and 2010) and was named the Most Valuable Canadian twice at the Grey Cup, once in 2003 and once in 2009.
After the 2009 season however, Cahoon found himself often wondering if it was not the ideal moment to bow out while on top. “I decided to play for another season, even though we had just won the Grey Cup, because I was coming off of a difficult year that was marred by an ongoing groin injury. Having always been a fighter, I wanted to finish my career by showing that I could still help the team,” recalled Ben.
He also admits that he was touched when the crowd chanted “One more year! One more year!” after he was presented on stage at the 2009 Grey Cup parade. “I was pretty sure at that moment that I would be back in 2010.”
Cahoon is undertaking his new role as a coach in the same manner that he undertook his role as a player, that is to say, by devoting a lot of attention to every aspect of his job.
“It’s a challenge, a demanding position which can at times be intimidating,” admitted Cahoon. “Not only do I have to learn a brand new offensive system, but there are also a lot of other responsibilities that are related to my job that I need to familiarize myself with. I have to take into account the obligations that the players have in terms of their studies, and also the psychological elements that they are dealing with at this point in their lives. And that’s aside from the recruiting which also needs to be done.”
“The adventure that I’ve undertaken is gratifying, because I’m in a situation where I can help young people in their development, something that allows me to remind myself that I’ve made the right decision.”
Cahoon doesn’t know if the players that he’s taken under his wing at Brigham Young are aware of the fact that they’re being coached by one of the biggest names in CFL history, but it also doesn’t matter to him. And in any case, they’ll probably realize how lucky they are to have him as a coach soon enough.
Just as Alouettes fans were quick to grasp just how big of a player he was, and just what kind of a man he was. And it’s those same fans who will express their respect for Cahoon Friday night as his Alouettes career comes to a fairy tale end.
