Tyson Philpot on reaching 112th Grey Cup: ‘We can achieve those goals’
CFL.ca
MONTREAL — The standard has been set high for the Montreal Alouettes – getting past the Eastern Final is what matters most to this team.
Coming off the high of winning the Grey Cup in 2023, an upset to the Toronto Argonauts in the Eastern Final in 2024 en route to a repeat was a short falling in the eyes of Als players.
Receiver Austin Mack knows what it takes for this Als squad to get to the top once again – the talent is there, and continuing to build on what has been developed the last three years is a start.
“(Would) love to get to that 10-plus wins once more,” said Mack in a conversation with CFL.ca. “With the new quarterback, Davis Alexander, the five guys that we’ve got in this receiver room, [it] is going to be our third year together. We’ve got some talent.
“(Head coach) Jason Maas, he at one point had four 1000-yard receivers in one year, and I think this is something that we could easily, tangibly do with our team. I think we’re going to be unstoppable. Offensively, a lot of weapons, a lot of options to execute and do things at a high level.”
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Austin Mack has 88 catches for 1,299 yards in 20 games with the Alouettes (CFL.ca)
The Als finished 2024 with a league-best 12-5-1 record and featured multiple impact players who were making plays for the team, such as Alexander, Mack, Walter Fletcher and Tyson Philpot, to name a few.
Individually, Mack hopes to catch eyes on a league-wide level with his talents once again, but being able to be there for his team is what comes first before any personal accolades.
“Obviously, being an All-CFL, that’s the minimum, but that’s the only thing right now for sure that I got at the helm that must be accomplished from the individual standpoint,” said Mack.
Philpot has that same mindset, in that his individual goal is one that benefits the team primarily, putting himself second to overall success.
Being able to see the work he has put in during the off-season in turn develop into consistency on the field is what matters most.
“Something I’ve said for myself is be healthy and play all 18 games. I haven’t played all 18 games since my rookie year… the best thing to be for your team is to be available,” said Philpot.
“It’s to make sure I can play all 18 games and be available for my team, and use this work that I’ve been using all off-season to translate onto the field and show that I can be consistent and stay healthy.”
Tyson Philpot finished with 779 yards despite only playing in nine games in 2024 (CFL.ca)
Every member on the Als is aligned on what their biggest goal is this year, and that is to get the job done. Yet being present in every game and not getting lost in the bigger vision is just as important.
While making it to the Eastern Final is something that many teams strive for each season, having done it consistently means that it has become routine for Montreal, and being able to get past that is the new goal.
“Over the last two years, obviously, we won the Grey Cup two years ago, but even last year, you know, we were playing Alouettes football all season. Having the best record that we’ve had in a long time, but coming up short because we didn’t finish, I think that’s something as a team that we know what we’re capable of,” said Philpot.
“But it doesn’t just happen. It’s getting to that game and staying consistent, finishing that game so we can get to the Grey Cup, and we can achieve those goals that we have. To the team, taking it one game at a time, and not looking too far ahead.”
