Records are not made for long discount specialists. Louis-Philippe Ladouceur will however cherish his on Sunday, when the Dallas Cowboys face the San Francisco 49ers. The Quebecker will take part in his 251st career NFL game, something no other Canadian player has achieved before him.
Last Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, the 39-year-old veteran reached the 250-game mark. He joined ex-kicker Eddie Murray, who had held the mark among Canadian players since his retirement in 2000.
In his 16th season with the team, the Montrealer still hasn’t missed a single game. Nor the slightest discount for that matter, which makes him an extremely rare model of consistency across the league in a shadowy position.
Even if he never tried to place himself in the spotlight, Ladouceur did not hide, in an interview with “Le Journal de Québec”, that the recognition that awaits him warms his heart.
“It’s important to me and my family, but it’s even more of an accomplishment for Canadians who want to show off in the NFL. We have our place in this league as Canadians. There are four of us in our team at the moment. There are good Canadian players for a long time in the league and it’s special to realize that it is me who will have played the most games, ”he reacted.
The merit of hanging on
The adventure with the Cowboys promised to be temporary, however, in 2005. Legendary head coach Bill Parcells needed a replacement long-remission specialist. Since that day, Ladouceur has never lost his job, even though there have been three changes of head coaches and six special teams leaders marched.
“The hardest part is hanging on and staying. You have to show that you are consistent and ready for every game. It is not easy to do this for 16 years through the sores and changes in philosophy. The guys are growing faster, but not me. At my age, I must be more cerebral. What makes me most proud is that I have adapted to all situations, ”said Ladouceur.
The former Cégep John-Abbott was on the defensive line and it was at the University of California that he converted to his current position.
His first free agent try with the New Orleans Saints was aborted. As did his subsequent training in Buffalo and Miami. The Cowboys’ call came at just the right time for someone who learned from his agent a few weeks ago that the record of games played for a Canadian would be his.
“It makes me a little velvet, but also a little bit of old!”, Launched Ladouceur with a burst of laughter.
“My journey proves that failures are necessary to be successful. You can’t always be in seventh heaven. Sometimes you have to fall dry on the ground. It helped me. I’m not an accomplishment guy. I’m more interested in getting ready for the next game, although I can’t deny that this record is a source of pride. ”
A season that leaves you hungry for more
Louis-Philippe Ladouceur is not able to say with certainty what the future holds for him beyond the current season. However, it is easy to deduce that he will not have his arm twisted to continue the adventure.
The Cowboys’ 2020 campaign is clearly not going as planned. With three games to go, the team has a poor record of four wins and nine losses.
Their only hope of making a playoff spot is that they’re in the weakest division in the NFL, but the Washington team holds a two-game lead over Dallas at the top in the East. .
“I always try to take time to reflect after the season. In late January or early February, I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do next year. The current season will perhaps influence my decision. No one wants to end their career on the wrong foot. But we still have a chance to make the playoffs, you never know, ”commented Ladouceur about his future.
Obstacles
The current season has also been marked by sad events for the Cowboys. Quarterback Dak Prescott fell in battle with a horrific fracture to his right ankle.
The physical trainer Markus Paul then died suddenly, a few weeks later.
“It happened at the team complex and we were all there. It was very difficult in the middle of Thanksgiving week and everyone was shocked. There have been a lot of obstacles this year and we just have to hope that it will toughen us up and put us in a better position for the future, ”sighed the Quebecer, who cannot imagine himself in another uniform.
“Playing for the Cowboys is part of my soul now, after so long. It’s almost half of my life in this organization, ”he concluded.
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