By Charles-André Marchand
Football reporter and Alouettes play-by-play announcer
PassionFootball.ca
98,5 Sports
MONTREAL – Football teams everywhere are in recruitment mode these days. The evaluation process for both GMs and scouts isn’t limited to highly-publicized camps like the NFL’s combine in Indianapolis or the CFL’s own combine in Toronto last month. Criss-crossing the continent for talent is part of everyday life in football and it’s a journey that involves trips to countless college campuses and hours of time in the film room. The Alouettes however take that one step further by holding their own open tryouts available to any players who think they have the right stuff.
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Over 100 CFL hopefuls are expected at this weekend’s open tryouts in Fort Worth, TX and Tampa, FL. |
The Als held their first open tryout of the year last weekend, which made for a busy few days for team scout and football operations assistant Uzooma Okeke and that was only the beginning. After being in Miami on Saturday, the former Alouettes lineman was in Akron, Ohio the very next day for another tryout to evaluate over 100 more CFL hopefuls.
Okeke will be at it again next weekend when he and rest of the Alouettes scouting staff will be in Fort Worth, TX on April 20 and Tampa, FL on April 21. While some players earn personal invites from the Als to attend, the vast majority of those trying out travel on their own dime and pay a $100 fee to strut their stuff in front of Alouettes brass.
“We often see players come out who have recently graduated from college and are looking for an opportunity that they wouldn’t otherwise have in the NFL,” explained Okeke. “We also see players who have a few years of pro football under their belts be it in the NFL or CFL come out looking for a second chance to be discovered and end up earning a living playing pro football. We don’t generally look for players for specific positions we’re looking to fill but rather those who stand out from the rest and who despite having slipped under the radar still impress us enough to earn invites to our official training camp.”
With thousands of college football programs across the U.S. and over 100 in Canada, there is no shortage of players talented enough to reach the next level.
“It’s often all about just getting an opportunity and being in the right place at the right time for these players,” said Okeke now entering his seventh season as an Als scout following a brilliant 13 CFL career that included 10 years with Montreal. “There are only so many jobs out there for players coming out of college. Sure there’s the NFL, CFL and the Arena Football League but opportunities are definitely limited. There are a few guys out there who could be starters in the CFL but just have never gotten that chance.”
One player who got that chance courtesy of Okeke and Alouettes was star receiver S.J. Green.
“I remember first-seeing S.J. at an open tryout we held in Florida if I recall correctly,” remembered Okeke of a receiver who has since emerged as one of the CFL’s most dangerous deep threats over his six years in the league.
The chances of the Als discovering another diamond in the rough like Green will be even greater given there are more camps expected to be added to the calendar, including in North Carolina and in Montreal.
“That gives players from home the chance to prove they can earn a spot,” reasoned Okeke.
Not all participants are blue-chip talents like Green. To hear Okeke tell it, these tryouts draw a varied clientele.
“We see it all at these tryouts,” said Okeke with a smile. “We get rec-league players who thing they can measure up with the pros. We never know who will show up either since it’s open to everyone. We’ve even had 35- to 40-year-olds turn out.”
Does that mean a certain play-by-play announcer should give it a shot at age 52?
“Well, if you think you’re in good enough shape there’s nothing stopping you!”
Okeke is too kind but now that I think about it, it’s probably best if I stick to watching the action from the sidelines…
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