There will be two important guests at the Alouettes’ game on Friday night. Two of the best linebackers in club history will be at Percival-Molson Stadium to watch the game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Posted at 5:20 p.m.
Chip Cox will be honored by the team for his induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. His former teammate and friend Kyries Hebert will be on hand for the occasion, he who officially retired on Thursday. Hebert signed a one-day contract so he could retire with the Alouettes.
“I had never signed my retirement documents because it was my dream to do it here with the Alouettes,” explained Hebert, who ended his career with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2018 after six seasons with the Als (2012 to 2017).
Hebert had also played for the Ottawa Renegades early in his CFL career, but his relationship with former and late Alouettes owner Robert Wetenhall made his decision to retire with the Birds easy.
He told me that I was not a star player, but a superhero, which had a huge effect on my level of confidence, as you can imagine. He told me that I would retire as an Alouette. I left for Ottawa because of what happened between Mr. (Kavis) Reed and me, but I loved this man (Wetenhall) so much that I wanted to retire in the uniform of the Alouettes.
Kyries Hebert
“It’s one of the best days of my life, I’m extremely excited to be here. »
It is also because he is particularly fond of Montreal that Hebert wanted to sign this one-day contract.
“This city means a lot to me. I played 15 seasons and this is where I played the longest. I had a daughter here, I got married on the grounds of Percival-Molson Stadium, the same place where I met my wife. She and I have been very involved in this community. »
“I love you, Montreal,” said Hebert in the language of Diane Dufresne.
“There is honestly no city in the world that I love as much as this one. »
most feared
Hebert was not unanimous when he played. Capable of occupying a safety position in the secondary or that of a defensive end, the linebacker was feared for the hard-hitting shoulders that he never hesitated to give. Some observers thought he was a scumbag player, while others saw him as a player from the old days.
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PRESS ARCHIVES
Kyries Hebert with the Alouettes in 2014
“When I started playing football, it was still a violent and dangerous sport with the repercussions and risks associated with it. Gambling is safer these days and that’s a good thing. But I only knew how to play one way, so my style of play wouldn’t fit well with today’s football. »
“Kyries was a force of nature. Because of his toughness and because he always played at the limit of what was allowed. And sometimes he moved that limit a little bit, ”described Danny Maciocia, who flanked Hebert in a room at Olympic Stadium on Thursday.
According to the GM and interim head coach of the Alouettes, no current CFL player is feared as Hebert was at the time.
You always had to know where he was and he was very versatile. When he positioned himself at the end of the line and it was our ball carrier who had to block him, we knew we were in trouble. The receivers did not really want to go catch passes near him. His presence affected how the attacks operated. With no disrespect to anyone, there is no defensive player in the league that has such presence or impact.
Danny Maciocia, Head Coach and General Manager of the Alouettes
His greatest pride
In addition to spending two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals (2009 and 2010), Hebert played 173 CFL games between 2004 and 2018. He had 629 defensive tackles, 149 on special teams, 30 sacks, 12 interceptions and forced 19 fumbles. Figures that should allow him to eventually join his friend Chip Cox in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
But that’s not the first thing Hebert thinks of when discussing those years. “What makes me most proud is being able to give back to people through football. Without my career, I could never have done it. »
“Roy Jones Jr., Terrell Owens, Roy Williams and several other celebrities came to my hometown of 9,000 people in Louisiana because I was hosting charity events there. I’ve given over 600 motivational speeches and been a mentor to prisoners, among others. I remember all those things more than my games on the pitch. »
Hunger Blitz
People who attend Friday night’s game will have the opportunity to help those most in need by bringing non-perishable food items to Percival-Molson Stadium as part of the 18e edition of the Blitz against Hunger, a collection organized by the CFL, the Alouettes and Purolator. Barrels for collecting donations will be located near each entrance giving access to the stadium. Generous souls will also be able to donate in cash or with their debit or credit cards.
On the football side, the Alouettes will have the chance to deal a very hard blow to the hopes of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, if not the deathblow. The Birds are currently ahead of them by two points for second place in the Eastern Division, in addition to having one more game to play. A victory for the Alouettes would also give them the tiebreaker with those same Tiger-Cats since they would have won two of the three meetings of the season. Since the odds are strong that only the top two teams from the East will make the playoffs, it will be almost a one-night game for the visitors.
Back with the Alouettes after an unsuccessful stint with the Los Angeles Chargers, quarterback fighter Jamal Davis II, who did well in the second half of the season with the Als in 2021, will be in uniform Friday night. Marc-Antoine Dequoy will miss the match for personal reasons.