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Features April 5, 2023

Alfieri: Dequoy gets comfortable with Als

Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca

Stability.

It’s something that professional football teams and athletes search for all the time. Since Pierre Karl Péladeau purchased the team a few weeks ago, the Montreal Alouettes have become a lot more stable off the field. This past Friday, they found some stability on the field and they showed commitment to a key piece of their puzzle, as they extended safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy, giving him a three-year deal that will keep him in Montreal through 2025.

“I knew I wanted to stay here, but it helps to know that we’re going in the right direction (as an organization),” Dequoy admitted. “We have a local owner; we have front office people who are local also. That reassures me and it gave me confidence with the decision I made (to re-sign).”

Dequoy completed his second season with the Alouettes in 2022, but his first as a full-time starter. The 28-year-old started 17 games at safety last season and he excelled at the position. He finished tied for fourth in the league in interceptions, with four and he led all National players in that category. He returned an interception for a touchdown during Montreal’s Week 3 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Percival Molson Stadium. He also forced a fumble and recovered two, while making 38 defensive tackles and four more on special teams.

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“He’s a really important player for us,” Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia said.

“In Marc-Antoine’s case, I think it would be difficult to find a better athlete across the CFL at the safety position. Where he has improved and where I think he can get even better, is when it comes to slowing down the game and processing information on the field. To look at the receivers, to understand the (route) concepts, his read of the opposing quarterback and where that player is going with the football and recognizing tendencies on first and second downs.

“When he understands that a little more – he’s made a lot of progress in that regard, by the way — and when he can slow the game down, that’s when his speed will allow him to cover even more ground and he’ll be even better than what we have seen over the last two years.”

Training camp still needs to play out, of course, but Dequoy will likely be one of the few National starters on defence in 2023. Linebackers Chris Ackie, Tyrell Richards and Brian Harelimana should all play snaps on defence throughout games, but there is more of a rotation that goes on at that position. The starting safety, if healthy, typically plays most of the game in defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe’s defensive alignment.

“I’m glad I get to work with Noel again,” Dequoy said when he met the media on Friday. “That’s important to me. I want stability, especially in this sport. With (Noel), we were able to build something at the end of last season. He understands the way I want to play and I understand the way he coaches. Him coming back is good for the entire group because we know what he expects from us now.”

There’s no denying Dequoy’s value and talent on the field, but it’s his commitment to the community that truly makes him special.

He is part of the Alouettes’ Together at School program, which sees players speak to local students about the importance of staying in school. They also share stories about how they faced and overcame adversity in their lives.

Dequoy is a natural with a mic in his hands or a camera in his face and he also finds a way to connect with today’s youth and the local fan base in Montreal. It’s not uncommon for the Als’ safety to stay on the field for more than an hour after each home game so that he can sign autographs and take pictures for the fans in attendance.

“At the end of the day, it’s the fans that we play for,” Dequoy said. “No matter who the owner is, I still play for the fans. The fan base is always going to stay the same. Hopefully, it will increase next year, but I play for them.”

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