Although Alouettes General Manager Danny Maciocia is the former Head Coach of the Université de Montréal Carabins, the Université Laval’s Rouge et Or program hasn’t been overlooked by the Alouettes’ recruiting team.
Seven alumni from this prestigious program are members of the Alouettes. To tell us more about them, Justin Éthier, the Rouge et Or’s Offensive Coordinator, analyses the players he got to know very well back in Quebec City.
Did you know that Éthier himself is an alumnus of the Université de Montréal? A well-kept secret. “In my defense, there was no football program when I was studying there,” he added laughing.
Let’s take a closer look at his analysis:
Pierre-Luc Caron: “He’s a good guy who works hard. From the beginning, he distinguished himself by his long snaps. He also has a good understanding of the game and is highly valued by his teammates.”
Philippe Gagnon: “He played wonderfully during his time in our organization. He is a player of a few words but has a great personality when you get to know him. He’s been one of the best linemen in the history of our program.”
Jason Lauzon-Séguin: “It’s a great story, this guy arrived in Laval without much experience, but he had a lot of potential. He had to wait his turn, and it was not always easy for him. He continues to improve. He’s playing his best football at the professional level. He didn’t have time to show his full potential with us.”
Félix Faubert-Lussier: “He is a great player with a good instinct. He understands the game and has a lot of versatility. He started as a fullback and finished as a receiver. He came back for his fifth year and helped us hoist the Vanier Cup.”
Christophe Normand: “With us, in the beginning, it wasn’t clear whether he was a fullback or a running back. He developed quickly, and physically he had great potential. His role became established at the professional level. He dreamed of playing pro and did everything he could to achieve it. That was his goal and he made it. It suits him very well.”
Hugo Richard: “He spent five years with us and developed into a quarterback. Hugo had a great reputation. Very quickly, he was named rookie of the year in Canada. He had to learn to manage the pressure, which wasn’t easy at first. He’s very Intelligent and this helped us win two Vanier Cups. He earned respect and made his detractors lie.”
Samuel Thomassin: “He had some good times in our program. We showed him a lot of plays and he learned a lot. Sam started as a tackle but ended up as a guard. The best is yet to come with him.”
