MontrealAlouettes.com
By François Ferland
MONTREAL – Last year marked a near dream season for Anthony Calvillo on a personal note with the legendary quarterback becoming pro football’s all-time leading passer. As the ultimate team-player, nothing measures up to a championship for Calvillo and it’s with only that goal in mind that he embarks on the 2012 season.
“That’s the only reason I’m still playing this game,” declared Calvillo now only months shy of his 40th birthday.
Winning is something the Alouettes have done with amazing regularity since returning to the CFL in 1996. The roots of that success can be traced directly to the combination of Calvillo and Jim Popp.
Calvillo has been an Alouette since Popp acquired him from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1998. And the rest is history.
The question becomes: where would the Alouettes be as a franchise today if Popp has never brought Calvillo to Montreal? In football, a team’s fortunes begin and end with the quarterback. An invaluable cog in a team’s offence, the role of QB is a demanding one and the revolving door at that position league-wide is a reflection of that. Few have in the game been able to come close to Calvillo’s longevity let alone dominance.
Now in his 15th season with Montreal, no other pivot has been able to match him in team or even CFL history. Calvillo’s dominance has allowed him to complete the Alouettes’ holy trinity of quarterbacks along with the likes of Sam Etcheverry and Sonny Wade.
Calvillo has certainly come a long way since he won the Als’ starting job following his tutelage under Tracy Ham, whom he regularly credits for his rise through the ranks. After being a starter with the Tiger-Cats, Calvillo didn’t hesitate to accept a back-up role in Montreal when Popp and the Alouettes came calling.
“I wanted to learn from an experienced quarterback and I also wanted to be part of a winning organization and that’s what Montreal offered me,” said Calvillo at the time.
Dilligently and all with his trademark humility, Calvillo honed his craft, learning the finer points of the toughest position in sports. His faith in his team and himself has fueled him to grow into the outstanding player and great leader he is today.
In true Calvillo fashion, he hasn’t stopped learning, either. The arrival of head coach Marc Trestman in 2008 cued the final step in AC’s evolution as a great quarterback. Two Grey Cups and a few broken records later, an incredible bond has formed between Trestman and the star QB.
“I feel like a privileged witness to all that Anthony has accomplished,” marveled Trestman. “He is one of the greatest quarterbacks I’ve ever has the chance to work with.”
All past and future accolades aside, all Calvillo is focused on these days in another championship. One more Grey Cup ring would bring his total to four, making him the most decorated quarterback in franchise history.
It all begins with that first snap of the ball on Sunday night in Calgary, and for Calvillo it couldn’t come soon enough.
