After being inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame last weekend, Chip Cox will now be honored by the Montreal Alouettes on Friday before the game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. And the ex-linebacker is excited to reconnect with his former supporters.
“I can’t wait to find them,” he said during a videoconference on Wednesday. I put my career on the line for them and would do it again in a heartbeat. The Alouettes’ fans have been fantastic, even during the dark years, when victories no longer came at the same pace. They were always behind us. »
“I can’t even remember a single time when supporters were moved or said anything inappropriate about me. They have always accepted me. For someone who has felt looked down on all his life, having these fans show those feelings for me was very important. »
However, he cannot say how he will react when he steps onto the surface of the Percival-Molson stadium.
” It has been a long time ! When I was in Hamilton watching the game [lors du week-end d’intronisation], it was difficult: I didn’t see many players who could have gotten ahead of me on the pitch! We will see ; I don’t know how I will react, but it will be great to find the supporters. »
Festive return
Cox is still in exemplary form and is quick to point out that as of this writing, he still hasn’t signed his retirement papers with the CFL. He also says that when he left Montreal at the end of the 2018 season, he still thought he was playing football the following season.
But he quickly added that he does not want his words to be misinterpreted and that he is very happy to return to Montreal to receive this honor.
Cox, who operates a nine-hole golf course, gymnasium and restaurant in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, plans to return to his favorite Montreal restaurants in the coming days.
“There are a few! We will be there Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning: I can guarantee you that I will take at least a good 10 pounds just because of these restaurants! I won’t be working out at all, just walking around town and there are at least four or five restaurants that my family loves! »
“I don’t remember their name, but I remember where they are!” I never really remembered their name, but I know how to get there. Names are not important; food, yes! »
Cox was one of the great players of his time. In thirteen seasons and 228 games with the Alouettes, he had 979 tackles, which ranks him fourth all-time in the Canadian Football League. He intercepted 23 passes and scored eight defensive touchdowns, in addition to holding the Canadian league mark with 392 yards on fumble returns. He was voted defensive player of the CFL in 2013 after compiling a team-high 115 tackles, in addition to 12 sacks and four interceptions. The one who won the Gray Cup in 2009 and 2010 has many excellent memories of his time in the Quebec metropolis, but particularly the last stretch of the 2014 season.
“We had to win several games in a row that season [six de leurs sept derniers, NDLR] to make it through to the qualifying rounds. It was great. We had neither [Anthony] Calvillo ni [Ben] Cahoon. Each of the players in this locker room had come together to do everything in their power to reach the playoffs. »
“We had great years and won championships, but this end of the season, when all the guys had put their egos aside, it was one of the highlights of my career. In 2009, we had just lost the Gray Cup in front of our fans and we had revenge in our hearts. But in 2014, it was something else. The guys were doing things they had never done before. We had to. »