Photo: Rouge et Or athletics
Vincent Delisle says the place went nuts when his phone glowed brightly, just as the 2024 CFL draft was drawing to a close, with the Montreal Alouettes on the clock.
“When the 514 (area code) number appeared on my phone, everyone went crazy,” says the last man selected in the 2024 CFL draft, taken 74th, overall, by the Als.
“It was so much fun.”
Delisle and a group of his Laval Rouge et Or teammates were gathered at a favoured restaurant last Tuesday night, waiting for word on just when and where their draft-eligible teammates were going.
MORE CFL DRAFT COVERAGE
» Elks select Joel Dublanko first overall in 2024 CFL Draft
» Ferguson: 10 perfect CFL Draft fits
» A team-by-team look at the 2024 CFL Draft
» 2024 CFL Draft Tracker: View every pick
» It’s a small football world for top CFL Draft prospects
» More CFL Draft news and analysis
» Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates
View this post on Instagram
They got news long before Delisle’s phone lit up, when receiver Kevin Mital was snatched up by the Toronto Argonauts with the fifth pick, followed quickly by offensive lineman Nathaniel Dumoulin Duguay, who went seventh, overall, to the Hamilton Tiget-Cats. Then came time for defensive back Christophe Beaulieu, a third round pick of the BC Lions. Then kicker Vincent Blanchard, to Edmonton, and long snapper Ian Leroux, to Winnipeg, each in round four.
Delisle would have to wait. Not that he was the least bit surprised by that.
“I kind of knew that if it was going to happen, it would be with the last pick,” says the six-foot-one, 185-pound defensive back.
There was tension, though, for the 23-year-old Quebec City native as the eighth and final round commenced. “After the seventh, when my name didn’t get called, I was a little more stressed,” he admits.
Delisle had already had some contact with the Alouettes, with the team letting him know that he was on their radar. “They always talked to me like they were going to draft me,” he says.
Since the Als were the only club that had been in communication with him at all, Delisle felt certain he’d not be getting a phone call from an area code other than 514.
Now, after having a draft night chat with general manager Danny Maciocia and head coach Jason Maas, Delisle cannot wait for the chance to get a taste of his first pro football training camp. He’s scheduled to do that when the Alouettes convene on May 12th, in Saint-Jérôme, QC. He’ll have Rouge et Or company, with receiver Frederik Antoine being selected by Montreal in the fifth round of the draft, 47th overall; the last Laval player chosen prior to Delisle getting his moment.
“I’m so excited,” says Delisle. “I can’t wait to see how fast the play is in real life. I see great plays all over the place all the time on TV.”
Montreal’s defensive backfield is stacked with sensational, veteran talent and that means Delisle could get one heck of a learning experience from a group that played superb football last fall, keying Montreal’s run to a Grey Cup championship.
“I can’t wait to meet them and to learn from them,” he says.
In particular, one vet might be able to assist Delisle in taking the next step as he develops beyond what the Als presently see as a raw talent. Free safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy would be that guy. There is a good chance that Delisle could be returning to Laval for his final year of eligibility in 2024 and if he does, “the plan is to play free safety,” he says.
In three years at Laval, Delisle has seen limited action on defence, with the Rouge et Or using him as a “jack of all trades” as needed in the secondary. But he has popped as a special teamer, always an important quality for a prospective CFL player to possess. “I think I’m quite good at it,” says Delisle of his punt and kick-off duties. “And I like it very well.”
So just what do the Alouettes have in the 74th player taken?
“He’s a lengthy and athletic defensive back with a lot of potential,” assistant general manager Pier-Yves Lavergne told Joey Alfieri at Alouettes.com. “We see him as a pick with high upside, we just need to work with him.”
When advised of Lavergne’s comments, Delisle responds agreeably.
“That’s kind of how I see myself, too,” he says. “I’m only 23 and every year I come back to training camp and I think I’m getting better. Faster, stronger. I think I have a lot of potential and it makes me feel good that he sees the same thing.”
Delisle has tasted plenty of team success during his journey to being the last man drafted. One thing you can certainly say about him is that he knows a winning atmosphere. Laval won the Vanier Cup in his second year with the team, in 2022. Prior to that, Delisle won two Bol D’or championships with the Champlain-Lennoxville Cougars. As well, he was a member of Canada’s gold medal-winning World Junior Football team in 2019. “Just been on great teams with good people,” he says.
Now, Delisle has a shot to chart a course with the defending Grey Cup champions. Just like every other football player ever drafted in the late rounds, Delisle knows it is all about first getting a foot in the door, and then what you do with that opportunity.
“It’s kind of a cliche thing to say but once we’re out there at training camp, it doesn’t matter at what point you were drafted,” he says. “I’m all about competing with the guys. I believe in myself. I think I’m a great football player and that’s all that matters.”
That and a glowing phone, of course. Whenever it happens to light up.
