All Jacques Dussault ever wanted was to prove that Francophones had their place in football. This desire led him to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
The former coach and commentator will lead a delegation of seven new members, including three ex-Alouettes John Bowman, Josh Bourke and Larry Smith, at the induction ceremony on September 15, in Hamilton.
“I never thought about that, it’s usually not the kind of thing that turns me on, said Dussault during a videoconference last week. Wally (Buono, who told him the news) must have found me flat: I asked him what I was going to do there!
“I don’t quite realize it yet. I’m more comfortable on the field. I found it a little funny to receive this honor when you do a job that you love. Nobody ever pushed me to go to work! […] When I think about it, I think so much the better! Once again, what some Quebecers are doing — and I am not counting myself on this — is finally recognized. »
Linebacker Solomon Elimimian, offensive lineman Lloyd Fairbanks and defensive back Larry Crawford will be added to this group.
“Coach” Dussault began his football career as a player, first at the University of Ottawa and then at McGill University.
“I watched a varsity game between McGill University and the University of Toronto on a Saturday afternoon when I was 5 or 6 years old. I said, “I’m going to play in there.” This is where this passion came from. »
He continued his journey by becoming a coach in high school in 1975, then he gradually rose through the ranks, passing through the American university ranks, before reaching the professional ranks by becoming a defense coach with the Montreal Concordes, in 1982. In doing so, he became the first French-speaking coach in the history of the CFL.
“I don’t like to talk about pride, but what I could say is that there wasn’t a day when I didn’t feel like going to work,” said Dussault. I don’t know if we can be proud of that. It’s clear that it made me a little velvet to be the first francophone to go to different levels, including the CFL. Let’s just say my English wasn’t the greatest! Football was not a sport for Francophones at that time, for various reasons. Barriers have been broken down; we see what it looks like these days. »
Dussault did not claim to be a pioneer—”I didn’t have that impression”—but he was keen to leave a fine calling card for Francophones who might follow.
“When I went to lead at Albany State and all those places, they had never seen Francophones. There was no pressure, but I wanted if someone else who had a weird name—because I didn’t call myself Jacques Dussault correctly often during those years—I wanted the doors open. I didn’t want them to say, “We got one; we don’t want two.” That, for me, was very, very important. If others wanted to have that kind of experience, I didn’t want them to have a hold on them because I wouldn’t have impressed anyone. »
After five seasons on the circuit, he returned to the college ranks with stints at Acadia University and Mount Allison University. He was also head coach in the World League of Football, with the Montreal Machine. After a final lap with the Alouettes in 1997, he joined the University of Montreal Carabins.
The career of Dussault, who then collaborated with various media, spans five and a half decades, in Quebec, North America and around the world.
Smith the builder
Smith was selected first overall in the 1972 CFL Draft by the Alouettes and enjoyed a nine-season career in the CFL. He returned to the league in 1992, when he was named the eighth commissioner of the Canadian Tour. It is moreover as a builder that he is enthroned in the Temple.
His reign was marked by an important period of transition, first during his expansion in the United States, then when the Alouettes returned to his hometown in 1996. The following year, he joined the club football club as president, a role he held until 2001, then from 2004 to 2010. He won four Gray Cups: twice as a player (1974 and 1977) and twice as a director (2009 and 2010).
“Rebuilding the organization in Montreal is really what gave me the most satisfaction,” Smith said via videoconference earlier this week. […] The humility of coming into a situation where we were selling 1,800 tickets in a 55,000 seat stadium and all the other issues we had at the start. But we had Jim Popp and very good teams. We’ve sold out for years and we’ve built a direct relationship with fans. »
Bowman and Bourke: The Golden Age of the Alouettes
Bowman was one of the toughest defensive ends in CFL history. In 230 games over 14 seasons with the Alouettes, Bowman had 134 sacks, good for seventh in CFL history. He finished his career with 481 tackles, 32 fumbles and 15 fumbles recoveries in career, in addition to two Gray Cup conquests, in 2009 and 2010.
“I started playing football to be with my friends, so I could invite a girl to prom,” Bowman said. I wasn’t the fastest, I wasn’t the most talented, but I worked harder than the others. That’s what made me ruthless on the pitch. I didn’t care who was better than me on the pitch: I was going to work harder than them for 60 minutes. »
After being selected in the third round of the 2004 CFL Draft, Bourke was a cornerstone of the Alouettes’ offensive line for nine seasons before playing his 10th season with the Toronto Argonauts.
Bourke was an East All-Star for seven consecutive seasons (2008-2014); he was also named to the CFL All-Star Team on two occasions, in addition to lifting the Gray Cup in 2009 and 2010. He was awarded the League’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award in 2011 .
“I’m surprised it happened so quickly,” Bourke admitted. I’ve taken a bit of a break from football since I stopped playing, but found myself thinking back to my career after getting the call (of my induction). I thought back to all those great teams and great coaches I played for and the beautiful city of Montreal. It hit me. I am about to join a fraternity of athletes who have played football at a very high level. I consider myself lucky. »
Three members of the media will also make their entrance to the Hall: Vicki Hall, sports journalist for theEdmonton Journal and the Calgary Herald ; the show’s longtime producer CFL on TSN Jon Hynes; and the late Chris Schultz, a well-known radio and television analyst.