Among the things that have done good for Quebecers in this year of tumult, the conquest of a first Gray Cup in 13 years by the Montreal Alouettes certainly has a place at the top of the list.
Moreover, at the end of this match in Hamilton, the post-match interview with safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy quickly went viral. Millions of people saw, heard and above all felt the passion, anger and pride of the Alouettes player.
Proulx was holding the microphone when Dequoy lost his temper. And according to the interviewer, this moment almost never became an anthology scene.
“I asked him if he wanted to talk. He said yes, but telling me he didn’t know what to say. He kept saying it. So I just asked him how he felt. And indeed, at first, he didn’t know what to say. »
Then, at one point, Dequoy thanked all the fans at home for their support. And this word was, according to Proulx, the “click” in the head of number 24.
“And he started yelling,” he remembers. And I just stepped back to give him plenty of room. And there, I see the drool coming out. And I told myself what was going on. And honestly, at one point, I almost got in the way. Because I didn’t want him to cross the line. »
Proulx finally restrained himself. A wise decision, he believes, in hindsight.
“He was so into it. And it goes quickly in your head. But I went from thinking about my next question to trying to figure out what was going on. But I had to let him go. »
It was extraordinary what he was doing and saying.
Matthew Proulx
Having been in Dequoy’s shoes in 2010, he felt guilty for a while for putting him in this position. “Because I was the one who asked the question and held the microphone. »
But seeing how Quebecers reacted to the message conveyed by the Alouettes player, he is proud to have been part of this small historic moment in the great history of Quebec football.
“I found it truly beautiful. This is a guy who experienced the purest emotions you could experience in the world of sports. It’s a moment that I will remember for the rest of my life. »