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David Côté teaches kids about the importance of fighting through adversity

No matter how many times professional kickers convert their kicks, most people will only remember the result of their last attempt. In Week 2 of last season, while playing against the Argos in Toronto, Als kicker David Côté missed a potential game-winning kick that he had made countless times throughout his career. That moment could have derailed his second season as a pro, but it didn’t.

“You question yourself on a lot of things after a game like that,” Côté, who signed an extension with the Alouettes on Tuesday, said. “You try to put things in perspective, too. As soon as we were back on the field, it felt good to kick again. It was just a mistake. We always aim for perfection, but sometimes we mess up. The important thing is to rebound, and that’s what I did. The rest of the season went really well. It didn’t affect my field goals the rest of the season.”

Teams want their kickers to have big legs and pin-point accuracy, but the most important attribute a kicker can have is an ability to remain even-keel in all situations. No kicker is perfect, but there’s value in having someone who can always focus on the next kick instead of the last one. That’s what Côté brings to the Alouettes. He’s not loud, he doesn’t have a big personality, but he has a quiet confidence on and off the field.

“He’s got ice in his veins,” special teams coordinator Byron Archambault said. “In the kicking game and in the kicking world, that’s something that is very valuable. It’s a very valuable personality trait. That’s who he is. He has ice in his veins. Energy-wise, he’s even keel. He’s never too high, never too low. He’s a true pro in his approach and he takes care of his body.”

It’s that exact approach and mentality that allowed him to bounce back after that Week 2 miss against the Argonauts. The 26-year-old finished fourth in the league in field goal percentage (86.3 percent), and he led the CFL in field goals made from 40 yards or more.

One of those long kicks occurred on Aug. 20, when the Als found themselves down by two points in the late stages of an important home game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The offence was able to get the ball to the Hamilton 40-yard line, which set up a 48-yard field goal attempt with no time remaining. Not only did Côté make the kick, but he also had room to spare.

During the previous game in Winnipeg, he managed to make an important kick in front of a hostile crowd to give the Alouettes a three-point lead in overtime. Blue Bombers kicker Marc Liegghio missed his kick on the following drive, which resulted in a big road win for the Alouettes.

“I’ve always been a calm guy,” he said. “I have never been flamboyant, and you’ll never hear me yelling and screaming. I’m just naturally calm. Throughout my experiences in life, I have learned to be calm in stressful situations. Dealing with stress is one thing, but believing in yourself is important, too.”

Time and time again, Côté stepped up in clutch situations for his team, and even though he’ll never forget about the kick he missed in Toronto, he’s using that experience to motivate others to fight through adversity.

He is one of several players that is participating in the “Together at School” program organized by the Alouettes this offseason. He and other players visit local high schools and elementary schools to speak to kids about overcoming adversity and the importance of staying in school.

At every visit, he makes sure to mention how difficult the moments following the loss in Toronto were. He explains how he received death threats, how he was made fun of on social media, and how he even had to overcome self- doubt. But in the week following that crushing miss, Côté went 5-for-5 on his field goal attempts, including another 48-yarder. He played a big part in his team’s win against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“In the moment, it wasn’t the end of the world, but it was difficult,” Côté explained. “But it’s all about bouncing back. That’s the message we try to send to the kids when we go speak at schools. You can’t change the past, but you can help determine the future based on the effort and work you put in. If that experience can help people continue to fight and help them to persevere during difficult times, I’ll consider that a job well done for me.”