Friday, 11 Dec 2020. 15:25
The season promises to be one to forget for the Dallas Cowboys. But Quebecer Louis-Philippe Ladouceur is on the verge of making NFL history.
The Cowboys game on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals will be Ladouceur’s 250th on the Goodell Tour. This will allow him to join kicker Eddie Murray for more games played by a Canadian in the league.
Ladouceur is expected to set a new mark on Dec. 20, when the Cowboys host the San Francisco 49ers. The Cowboys (3-9) have suffered back-to-back losses and sit last in the National East, two games behind the New York Giants and Team Washington, both at 5-7.
The six-foot-five, 255-pound Montrealer is in his 165th season with the Cowboys. The 39-year-old footballer began his career with the New Orleans Saints in 2005, but was released before playing a single encounter with them.
Ladouceur, who played his college football in Cal, was in California during the 2005 season when, after a game in San Francisco, the Cowboys stayed in the area to prepare.
take on the Oakland Raiders. Rookie long-discount specialist Jon Condo was in trouble and the Cowboys decided to give Ladouceur a try.
Former Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells was so impressed with Ladouceur that he cut Condo off the bus before training. Ladouceur has been a model of consistency with the club since, never having missed a meeting, nor any of his discounts on a clearance, convert or field goal since.
Murray of Halifax played for seven teams, including twice with the Cowboys, where he won the Super Bowl in 1993. His NFL career spanned 19 seasons. A seventh-round pick for the Detroit Lions in 1980, he played his last game with the Washington Redskins in 2000. During his career, he had 352 of his 466 field goals (75.5 percent) and scored 1594 points.
In 2014, Ladouceur had his name registered in the Pro Bowl roster. He is one of four Canadians on the Cowboys roster, along with defensive linemen Tyrone Crawford, Neville Gallimore and Eli Ankou.
He is the club’s last player to play at Texas Stadium and under Hall of Fame Parcells. Mike McCarthy is his fourth head coach.
It’s easy to understand how few football fans know Ladouceur. After all, the only times you hear about the long-discount specialists is when he misses one.
“(The lack of recognition) is part of the job, Ladouceur told The Canadian Press in an interview in 2017. I understood that a long time ago and I am very comfortable with it. “
