The Eastern final that the Alouettes are preparing to play on Saturday at Percival-Molson Stadium takes defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund back to an era going back nearly a decade when, in 2015, he enjoyed winning the Bol d’Or in the uniform of the Champlain College Cougars in Lennoxville.
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“It’s the only championship that I’ve had the chance to win in my life, in all sports,” Adeyemi-Berglund said Wednesday in an interview with Journal. We had a special group and this team was not totally different from what we see here in Montreal, in terms of approach during training. […] The feelings are the same. We are all obsessed with working hard and getting the dirty work done.”
Formerly of the Calgary Stampeders, Adeyemi-Berglund, 28, is in his first season with the Alouettes. The situation partly explains why the Nova Scotian remembers, these days, his time in Estrie at the college level. Ironically, there is a sign near Hébert stadium, in the borough of Saint-Léonard, where the Alouettes train, which displays the name “Cougars”.
“There are a lot of details,” the lineman agreed with a laugh. It’s also playing in Quebec on Saturday, so several members of my family will be traveling from Nova Scotia to come see me. This was also the case during the Bol d’Or final.”
A huge challenge
This time, however, the opponents will not be the players from Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy, but the Argonauts. In front of him, the colossi of the Toronto team’s offensive line, including Ryan Hunter, who weighs 315 pounds, and Dejon Allen, who tips the scales at 300.
“They have a good offensive line and you will have to be violent to be able to beat them,” said Adeyemi-Berglund, author of 36 defensive tackles and 7 sacks during the regular season. It will be trench warfare and a very good challenge.”
While he has good memories of his former coach Jean-François Joncas in Lennoxville, the athlete from Dartmouth says he finds the same rigor in Alouettes head coach Jason Maas.
“I associate dirty work and working hard with the Bol d’Or, and that’s what we do here too,” noted Adeyemi-Berglund, a finalist for the CFL Most Outstanding Canadian Player title. I try to bring the same energy that I learned to deploy at Champlain College.”
“Jason Maas is an incredible head coach,” added the Nova Scotian. I couldn’t sum up all the good things I think of him.”
Team Chemistry
Adeyemi-Berglund quickly names Maas’ ability to create strong links between the different players on the team. Thinking back to his stay in Lennoxville, the athlete immediately thinks of his former teammates, including a certain Sidy Sow, who plays in the NFL with the New England Patriots.
“Sidy was very young at the time. He’s a good guy and I’m happy for him,” said the Alouettes player. I am always proud of my former teammates who are in the CFL or, in Sidy’s case, in the NFL.
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