When he was young, Benjamin St-Juste didn’t have a ton of role models of Quebec football players who could aspire to the NFL.
In fact, there are a dozen from Quebec to have been drafted into the NFL, and few have really settled there. And no one has heard his name as quickly as St-Juste since Tshimanga Biakabutuka, chosen in the first round in 1996.
Twenty-five years later, St-Juste was drafted at 3e tour, 74e in total, by Team Washington, and the wheel begins to turn.
“It is close to my heart for the players of Quebec; I made it a priority, ”said St-Juste during a videoconference with the media in the province. “I wanted to be successful in the NFL because I always thought about the big picture. I think of the impact of being drafted so high by a good team, the image that projects for a younger generation. We need representatives. I was not younger, I see myself giving motivation to the youngest of Quebec and I believe that we will see even more in the years to come. ”
St-Juste has mostly played as a cornerback at the University of Minnesota, but with his 6’3 ”and 202 lbs, he could also be used as a safety back. Versatility that has undoubtedly played in its favor in the eyes of recruiters.
In any case, his relationship with Washington dated back to last January, and he had had good encounters with the team that was going to draft him.
PHOTO TONY DEJAK, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A fan of the Washington Team is delighted with the selection of Benjamin St-Juste, Friday in Cleveland.
“I had had several meetings from January to April, I spoke to several scouts, position coaches, special teams coaches, but I did not think they would choose me. Rather, I heard about other teams. ”
Then, a few rows away from his selection, he received a call from Washington head coach Ron Rivera, who confirmed that his turn was approaching. A few minutes later, he now knew he was draped in burgundy and gold, and struck with the stylized W.
It’s pretty crazy. I had my girlfriend’s family with me, and 20 people on the Zoom, then I got the call from Coach Rivera. It was weird, I experienced so many emotions, I was on cloud nine. The fact that it happens so fast, I will always remember.
Benjamin St-Just
Pitfalls
So fast, because he didn’t believe Washington would choose him. But the competition was getting fierce for the versatile defensive backs, which precipitated his selection.
“I immediately thought of my family, that I couldn’t be with them because of COVID-19. I thought of all the sacrifices of my father, of my brother who was super moved – he follows my journey. My mom had my Senior Bowl jersey on! ”
The Senior Bowl last January was just the time when his athletic prowess caught the eyes of NFL teams. The high point of a journey that will not have been easy, starting with the day he was cut off from Team Quebec in the summer of 2014.
“It’s one event among many, but it gave me the wake-up call, nothing was going to be given to me, and I started training harder. Then I got a scholarship to go play in Michigan, then Minnesota. It shaped my process into the NFL. ”
It is obviously an extremely rare feat to leave the Cegep du Vieux Montréal, as famous as its football program may be, to be drafted into the NFL. However, it is only day 1. In the short term, St-Juste will have to respond to the hundreds of messages it has received. By her own admission, her phone closed on its own under the weight of notifications.
Then, he will have to become aware of what he has just experienced, which is not easy either. He will take the time to settle all this, calmly, and to discuss it with his relatives. He has already contacted the director of operations in Washington to discuss next logistical steps. Then it will be the rookie mini-camp on May 17th.
Afterwards, it will be up to St-Juste to find its place in the defensive scheme of its new team.
“I haven’t yet realized what I’m going through, it takes me a long time to think about it, to call everyone, to talk about it. In a few days, I will realize it, but I am already thinking about the next steps. ”
