MONTREAL – Marc-Antoine Dequoy has an atypical career path and this should not be forgotten when assessing his rise. At 28, he will only be living his third season in the CFL and his second as a starter. A broader experience should allow him to take an additional flight.
Before talking about the sports aspect, Dequoy ranks among the players who love to play in Montreal and the organization has made sure to retain his services until 2025. He gets high for the local crowd and it doesn’t sound wrong when he calls his association with the Alouettes a “commitment to the fans”.
“When I got the news of the agreement, I had a big smile! It’s something to be able to play in the CFL, but I feel blessed to play at home,” he said.
“When we talk about keeping our best people at home, that’s exactly what we’re doing. We often talk about stability and he is a very important piece for us on the defensive side. It should inspire many young people, including student athletes who play in Quebec. Because Marc-Antoine is quite a role model. He will have a say in our success on the defensive side in the coming years,” general manager Danny Maciocia told RDS.
Dequoy has already established himself as an excellent resource, especially since he is a Canadian player, but the Alouettes have extended his contract because the team has bigger plans for him.
“On the athlete side, it will be difficult to find a better athlete as a safety in the CFL. Where he has improved a lot and where he can still do so in the next few years is how slow the game is in his eyes. To see the information, the receivers, the layouts, the concepts, the reading of the quarterback, to study the trends according to the situation. Developing that, his speed will help him be even better,” Maciocia expressed.
“I’m by no means at the top of my game. I have a lot of work to do and I know what I need to focus on. I have my qualities on the pitch, but I also have my weaknesses. I’m quite critical of my own game. It’s part of life to improve, ”reacted Dequoy with transparency.
“During the off-season, I do everything to be ready and correct the weaknesses in my game. I feel ready to attack and to have the assurance of playing for the Alouettes for three more years, it takes that stress away,” added the one who has all the assets to surpass his total of four interceptions last year.
Dequoy thus focuses on a combination of tactical and technical elements with an ultimate goal.
“It’s much more of a game mental. When you’re younger, you move faster and take more steps on the court. As you get older, you decrease your steps, but you want to be more efficient. Instead of taking three or four steps on one side and then having to start from the other, you don’t move and you go in the right direction faster, “explained the marauder who came out of a session in the gymnasium leaving no doubt about his physical form.
With a season as a starter behind the tie, Dequoy knows best the tendencies of receivers, quarterbacks and offensive coordinators. But he hasn’t been patrolling CFL grounds for five years either.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s more your experience in the CFL that counts. It was last year that I really realized that chase angles are so different in the CFL because of the speed. I learned what it was 22 games (with the exhibition games and the playoffs) compared to 8 at the university level, ”he recalled.
The entry into the scene of defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe during the season did not provide the desired solidity. This time, this unit will have to be more constant.
“It’s important for me to have stability. From 2020 until now, there have been a lot of changes and it’s difficult to create this stability or this relationship with a coach. With Noel, we were able to build something, he understands my style and I understand his approach. We know what he expects of us,” replied Dequoy.
Of course, that stability goes beyond Thorpe’s defensive coordinator position.
“It will be a normal season, we haven’t had that since 2019. The GM is here, the head coach too, the owner too, we will just have to focus on football, the only thing we should criticize, not what is happening around the field. It is sure that it facilitates the next season, ”chained the Quebecer.
And for the one who will be 31 at the conclusion of this agreement, the NFL no longer lives too much in his thoughts.
“My focus is 100% on the Alouettes. I was one of those Alouettes fans a few years ago, I feel the desire to give my best on the field. If opportunities arise, we’ll see. Especially since I’m older than I used to be,” commented Dequoy.
L’inspiration de Matthew Bergeron
Moreover, in less than a month, Quebecer Matthew Bergeron will be drafted into the NFL and his name could be announced in the second round and even at the end of the first round in the most optimistic scenario.
Without knowing him a lot, Maciocia is thrilled by this success of the athlete from Victoriaville.
“Yes, I confirm that he will be drafted early in the NFL and it must be a source of great pride for Quebec. It proves that a lot of young people can make a living at the professional level and not only in the CFL, even in the NFL. It also demonstrates the quality of coaches in Quebec. I think it should inspire many young people and coaches. If they continue to develop, coaches can aspire to earn a living from football,” Maciocia concluded.
