MontrealAlouettes.com
MONTREAL – Fresh off their bye week, the Alouettes were hard at work today at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard prepping for the second half of the season.
The week off couldn’t have come at a better time for the Als this year, giving them some much needed R&R and a chance to clear out the infirmary.
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A pair of very special guests joined the Alouettes at practice today. |
“It definitely helped having a week of vacation” admitted Brandon Whitaker, the CFL’s Offensive Player of the Week. “I went home and enjoyed having the free time to refresh my mind and my body. This was the first time in a long time that I was able to get a proper eight hours of sleep,” joked the running back.
Whitaker and Trent Guy were both running sprints on the sidelines during today’s practice but vowed to be fully recovered for Monday’s tune-up.
While Whitaker left fans anything but relaxed last week in Winnipeg after leaving the game in the fourth quarter following a violent collision, the difficult catch he made on the play did earn the Oklahoma native some props from his teammates.
“It was a big play at a crucial time and everybody said that it was a pretty good one. They expect me to make plays for this offence and that’s what I plan on doing against Edmonton next Friday,” said Whitaker.
Head Coach Marc Trestman was a bit more reserved about his star running back’s return, cautioning that things are still questionable at this stage.
The news was not as bright for Montreal native Marc-Olivier Brouillette, who was injured on special teams in the first quarter of that same victory over Winnipeg.
“I fractured my radial bone in my forearm,” explained the third-year linebacker. “I got operated on Wednesday and I’m expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks. It wasn’t necessary for me to get the operation, but after consulting with the doctors they decided that it would accelerate my recovery process.”
Brouillette and company got a surprise as two very special guests stopped by during today’s practice. Canadian Football Hall of Famer Peter Dalla Riva and legendary Alouettes QB Sonny Wade — newly featured on Canada Post stamp — stopped by to share a few words with the guys.
“I heard a lot about him from my kicking coach Don Sweet, who actually played with Sonny,” said Sean Whyte. “It was amazing to get the opportunity to meet a CFL legend like Sonny Wade and have him share a few stories with us before today’s practice.”
