MontrealAlouettes.com
MONTREAL – On Sunday at Olympic Stadium the Alouettes will take the first step in their quest for a third-straight Grey Cup championship.
And although the Als’ path to glory may be one step longer this year, Brandon Whitaker is just happy to finally have a chance to start a game at the venerable Montreal landmark.
A mere practice roster player a year ago, the 26-year-old running back was still able to soak in all that a crowd at the Big O entails, and has since had a mid-November return to the stadium on his mind.
“Getting the chance to be in front of all those fans is huge. Even being on the sidelines last year was amazing,” recalled Whitaker of his first taste of the former home of the Expos. “You can really feel the energy in the building. I remember just watching everything and taking it all in. Now it’s my turn.”
As intense a competitor as they come, Whitaker is obviously champing at the bit for his chance to shine on the big stage, but that isn’t the only thing he likes about the venue.
“I’m not a not a big fan of cold weather games,” admitted the CFL’s leading rusher with 1,378 yards on the season. “If I had to chose, there’s no question that playing indoors is for me.”
With the road to the Grey Cup running through Winnipeg this year however, you can bet that Whitaker will nevertheless be more than happy to pack his thermal underwear should the Als come out on top this weekend.
“The goal is to play in two indoor stadiums to close out the year: here at home in the Big O for a playoff game and in Vancouver for the Grey Cup,” said Whitaker with a smile. “If I can play in those two stadiums in November, then I’ll be happy, regardless of any detours in between.”
He won’t be the only one.
If Whitaker is the bright-eyed novice coming into this year’s game at the CFL’s largest playground, then Anwar Stewart is the wily veteran who knows exactly what a battle at the Big O is all about.
“Being a part of the Montreal Alouettes for the last 10 years, I know what it means to have home field advantage and to play at the Big O. And when teams come here, they know what to expect.”
Indeed. When the Alouettes’ all-time sack leader says home field advantage, he means advantage. Since 2002, the Alouettes have only lost once when hosting an Eastern Final or Semi-Final game at Olympic Stadium, good for an impressive 7-1 home playoff record that has become the envy of the league.
“The Big O is energetic, it’s exciting. The fans always come out in numbers and have a great time, and that’s what we feed off of,” explained the four-time Grey Cup champion. “We feed off of their energy and excitement, and at the end of the day, that’s what we need in order to be successful and to win, especially on defence.”
“As a veteran guy, you want to be able to play in front of your fans and have a great time,” concluded Stewart. “Hopefully a lot of our fans will come out on Sunday to support us.”
Fans can purchase tickets to the Eastern Semi-Final by visiting TicketMaster.ca or by calling 514-790-1245.
