Bits & Bytes: Day 1 of Mini-Camp

Staff

MontrealAlouettes.com

VERO BEACH, FL – The Alouettes hit the field for the first time on Tuesday, opening their 2014 mini camp at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, FL. It marked the first time that head coach Tom Higgins met his players, but that wasn’t the day’s only noteworthy news.

Here are some bits and bytes from Day 1 of Mini Camp:

MAKING THE CONNECTION

The Alouettes are holding their week of spring training at the same facility where the Brooklyn (and later Los Angeles) Dodgers held theirs between 1948 and 2008. Montreal has a connection to the Dodgers in Jackie Robinson, who played for the Montreal Royals before famously breaking Major League Baseball’s colour barrier with the Dodgers in 1947.

Tuesday was Jackie Robinson Day in the U.S. and the Alouettes held team meetings in the Jackie Robinson room at Historic Dodgertown before hitting the same field that the famous number 42 used to practice on, 68 years after sharing the same home stadium as Robinson and the Royals at Montreal’s Stade Delorimier.

STAR POWER

As expected, receiver Chad Johnson arrived at mini-camp on Tuesday and practiced late in the afternoon with the rest of the Alouettes players. The former NFL star was thrilled to be back on the field, even if it was one much larger than he was used to.

“There are a lot of little nuances about this game that I have to learn,” admitted Johnson. “It’s another hurdle, but it’s something that I’m going to enjoy.”

The locals, meanwhile, enjoyed having Johnson in their backyard, as fans crowded the practice field to watch number 85 at work, some bringing signs and some wearing Patriots and Bengals jerseys, while an entire little league baseball team chanted “Ochocinco” from the end zone during part of the practice.

In case you were wondering which number @ochocinco would be rocking with the #Alouettes. #CFL pic.twitter.com/jXwFyegs9j

— Montreal Alouettes (@MTLAlouettes) April 15, 2014

QUICK HITS

Mini-camp continues on Wednesday, when the Alouettes return to the practice field at Historic Dodgertown starting from 8:55 a.m. … QB Troy Smith is now wearing #1 (formerly #3) … Receiver Ismael Bamba is now wearing #80 (formerly #85) … The most spectacular catch of the day came courtesy of Brandon London, but receivers Mardy Gilyard and Chad Johnson also made key grabs … The Alouettes’ stacked receiving corps weren’t the only ones providing the day’s fireworks, as the afternoon practice was followed by some midday fireworks explosions from a nearby baseball diamond … The forecast may have called for a 60% chance of thundershowers, but the skies remained clear on Tuesday.

SCRUMS