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 By Denis Lafontaine |
VANIER
COLLEGE CHEETAHS FOOTBALL ALUMNI NEWS List of players from 1971 to 2012 Complete results from 1978 to 2012 All-Time Cheetah Record Holders Do you have questions or any submissions of your own? Email us. |
Click here for the latest news on this year's Bol d'Or-winning Football Cheetahs
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JESSE JOSEPH SELECTED BY MONTREAL IN CFL DRAFT Former star Cheetah player Jesse Joseph was taken by Montreal with the 23rd overall pick in the CFL draft of May 6th. The earliest he would make his CFL debut is during the 2014 season since he is returning to the University of Connecticut Huskies for a fifth season of eligibility. Joseph has 118 tackles and 13 sacks in 37 career games at UConn. Jesse was an immediate starter as a true freshman and had 11 sacks in his first two seasons before being slowed by injury as a junior and senior. Joseph suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in a 24-21 win over Maryland. He was granted a fifth season of eligibility and is expected to be one of the UConn's defensive leaders. Joseph is the fifth Husky taken in the CFL draft since 2004. Other UConn Vanier alums who were chosen included defensive end Shawn Mayne who went to Hamilton with the 18th pick in 2006, and center Moe Petrus who was chosen 10th overall by Hamilton in 2011. Read more. |
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MARWAN HAGE'S COMMUNITY SERVICE GOES INTERNATIONAL May 4, 2013 |
Marwan Hage has had a career-long tradition of community service during his long time with the Hamilton Tiger Cats. However, he took that service an entirely new level when he traveled to the slums of El Salvador to spread some food, some fun and a whole bunch of good cheer. Marwan's trip was the subject of an excellent article which was printed in the Hamilton Spectator of May 4th. Read the entire article. In January 2013, Marwan was re-signed by the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the CFL to a new contract. After recuperating from a series of injuries over the past few years, his all-star playing abilities convinced the Ti-Cats to name him as their continued #1 center. He was previously honoured for his charity work at the 2009 CFL Awards with the Tom Pate Memorial Award. This award is given to a player with outstanding sportsmanship and one who has made a significant contribution to his team and to his community. Marawan was the East Division's top lineman in 2010. Find out more. |
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AFTER FOUR YEARS WITH ATHLETIC ACADEMY, Back in 2009, former Cheetah stars Adrian Davis, Shawn Mayne, Kevin Challenger, Jabari Arthur, Jonathan Williams and Blake Butler had all made it to the pro ranks in the CFL. They decided to collaborate and create an organization called The Athletic Academy whose principal purpose is to offer counseling and support to up and coming football players looking for a chance to have a professional career themselves. Their website now lists Nathan Taylor and Ron Aboud as notable Vanier names added to their list of top-level coaches and counsellors. Seen in the photo at left clockwise from the top left: Jabari Arthur, Shawn Mayne, Adrian Davis, Ron Aboud and Nathan Taylor. Read more about them and the Athletic Academy. |
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JEAN-MARC EDMÉ IS LAST REMAINING COACH FROM TRESTMAN ERA Jean-Marc Edmé has been on the coaching staff with the Alouettes since 2008. With the departure of Marc Trestman as well as all the other major coaching positions, Jean-Marc is the only coach who is still in his old position. In 2013, Jean-Marc will continue working as the team’s Defensive Assistant and Football Operations Assistant. His responsibilities include working with the defensive line and assisting the defensive staff with opponent-scouting, playbook drawing, handling scouting reports, personnel, formation tendencies, and consulting with in-game situations. In the 2012 season, the Montreal-North native and Vanier Cheetah alum helped the Alouettes’ defence finish second in both lowest average rushing yards allowed per game (94.4) and fewest net rushing yards for the season (1,693). He was featured in an article in the Journal de Montréal which also included a video clip.To read an English translation of this article, click here. |
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KABONGO
SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH BC LIONS Patrick Kabongo has signed a contract extension with the CFL's BC Lions. Patrick makes his offseason home in Edmonton where he played eight years, The veteran offensive guard enters his 10th CFL season in 2013 and has played in 136 regular season games along with six playoff matches. Kabongo was originally signed by the Lions just days into training camp last year and went on to appear in 15 regular season games including five as a starter in the final weeks of the 2012 campaign. While with the Edmonton Eskimos, Patrick was given the unique honour of winning the David Boone Community Service Award for two consecutive years. He was also a repeat nominee for the CFLPA (CFL PLayer's Association) Tom Pate Award, which is given to a player for his commitment to the league, his team and his community. |
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BRAD COLLINSON IS COACHING WITH CHAMPION LAVAL ROUGE ET OR After a star-studded stint with the Vanier Cheetahs, Brad Collinson went on to graduate from Concordia University, where he played from 2000 to 2003 as a center. Collinson made the leap to the Montreal Alouettes for one season in 2003-2004 when he was the long snapper. He was the head coach of the U19 Team Quebec from 2006 to 2008 and was also responsible for recruiting and coaching with the Concordia University Stingers from 2004 to 2010. He joined the Laval Rouge et Or in the summer of 2010 where he is responsible for academic tracking of the team's players, something he knows quite well, being a teacher at Dalbé-Viau High School in Lachine. Brad is also the team's coach for linebackers and defensive ends. In November 2012, Laval University won its record setting 7th Vanier Cup and there were no fewer than seven ex-Vanier players, either coaching or playing in the game. They were Matthew Norzil, Vince Levitt, Julien Bailey, Brendan Tennant, Danny Tam, Sam Lavaud and Brad Collinson. Congratulations to all of these former Cheetahs who have represented Vanier College to its fullest as student athletes! |
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TOUCHDOWN TIM BIAKABUTUKA FEATURED IN ARTICLE The Farm Club website has published an In-depth summation of Tshimanga Biakabutuka's career both before and after his injuy-plagued stint in the NFL. It starts from his arrival in Montreal from Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and his early high school football days under coach Serge Benoit at John Jacques Rousseau High School. lt goes on to talk of his college days at Vanier and then his glory days at Michigan U and then covers his extremely tough experience with injuries while with the NFLs Carolina Panthers. It concludes with the success he has found in the business world. Read the whole fascinating story. |
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MYLES GIBBON PLACED ON COMBINE LIST FOR 2013 CFL DRAFT March 14, 2013 |
Former Cheetah star quarterback Myles Gibbon, currently playing for the York University Lions, has been placed on the Combine List for this year's CFL Draft. He is looking to break in at the tough position of quarterback. Adversity is no problem for Myles who set not only all-time team records while with the Cheetahs, but also set league records that remain unbroken. After leaving Vanier, Myles became the first Canadian QB ever to be picked in his 1st year by a Division 1A American University. Myles excelled in his time with the University of Alabama Jaguars, where his full scholarship was reported as being worth $100,000 per year. In his first year, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder started the first six of the Jags' seven games in its inaugural season of 2009. That year he led the team in total offense with 632 yards. He was 29-of-51 passing for 538 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 94 yards and two scores. Congratulations, Myles, and good luck! Read more. |
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MARC CALIXTE ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT FROM CFL March 12, 2013 |
Linebacker and former Cheetah star player Marc Calixte of the Calgary Stampeders announced his retirement on March 12th after 10 CFL seasons. Marc had been with the Stamps for 10 seasons and was actually the team's longest serving player at the time of his retirement. He was a member of Calgary's 2008 Grey Cup winning team and appeared in no fewer than 147 regular-season games with the Stampeders. Marc was drafted by Calgary seventh overall in the 2003 CFL draft and, after three years at the University of Tennessee-Martin, he went onto play a long and successful career with the club. Marc was a special-teams standout, registering 91 career special-teams tackles. He also had 25 defensive tackles and two fumble recoveries. You can read more in this story from the CBC Sports and this story from the Calgary Herald. There was also an article from the Courrier Laval. You can read it in French, or else read it translated into English. Way to go, Marc! What a great career! |
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KABONGO
SHARES HIS EXPERIENCE IN PRO SPORTS AT SPEECH Vanier Cheetah alum and star lineman for the B.C Lions Patrick Kabongo gave a speech to the Wetaskiwin & District Chamber of Commerce at its luncheon on February 25th. He discussed his own rich experiences in the business of professional sports. Read the story. Patrick left the Edmonton Eskimos after a long career there, and is now a starter for the BC Lions. Read an article on his transition from Esk to Lion. Click here. Patrick had been a long-standing and successful player with the Eskimos with a strong background in community involvement. In 2009, he was given the honour of winning the David Boone Community Service Award for the second consecutive year. Patrick was also a repeat nominee for the CFL Player's Association's Tom Pate Award, given to a player for his commitment to the league, team and community . Read more about this story. |
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NATHAN TAYLOR AND JAMIE SYMIANICK ARE AIMING FOR CFL The CFL just announced their Québec Regional Combine Participants and two former Cheetahs were on the list: Jamie Symianick, Defensive Back with Western University and Nathan Taylor, Defensive Back with Concordia Stingers. See the announcement. In January 2013, Nathan was named Concordia Stingers' 2012 team MVP and also won another award for the Most Dedicated Stinger. See the link. When Ontario University Athletics announced their 2012 football all-star teams, Jamie was named to their 2nd all-star team - Defense. You can also watch Jamie's 2013 CFL Draft Prospect Highlight Reel. Congratulations to you both! |
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JESSE JOSEPH IS 8TH ON TOP-15 CFL PROSPECTS LIST - HOPEFUL FOR NFL Jesse Joseph was featured in an article in the Courrier Laval of January 10th detailing his hopes to make the NFL. If that doesn't happen, it would appear that playing in the CFL seems almost a complete certainty. It was announced in September 2012 that Jesse had been placed on the list of Top-15 CFL Prospects. He was previously featured in another article where he detailed his experiences playing in front of 70,000 people at the Fiesta Bowl on January 2, 2011. When Jesse started with the University of Connecticut Huskies in 2009, he was the first true freshman to start every game for the team since 2004. As good as his stats were in 2009, his 2010 season was even better. His 2011-2012 stats were good enough to put him on the CFL Draft list! Read more. |
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CORY WATSON SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH CFL'S BLUE BOMBERS December 24, 2012 |
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed slotback and Vanier alum Cory Watson to a contract extension on December 2nd. Cory was a starter with the CFL club last season. “We are very pleased to lock up this young, solid, Canadian player for the foreseeable future,” vice-president and GM Joe Mack said in a release. "Cory is a big, physical target for us that has come a long way since he joined our club out of the draft in 2010 and we are looking for him to have a breakout season in 2013.” The six-foot-three, 213-pound Watson, a native of Dollard des Ormeaux, Que., had 35 catches for 344 yards and a touchdown last season, his third with Winnipeg. The Blue Bombers selected Watson ninth overall in the 2010 CFL draft. Read more. |
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KRISTIAN MATTE IN HIS THIRD SEASON WITH ALS IS ITCHING TO GET ON THE STARTING ROSTER December 21, 2012 |
After two years on the Alouettes roster, former Cheetah Kristian Matte was hoping to crack the starting lineup with the Montreal Alouettes in his third season with the team. Otherwise, he might have fely obliged to test the waters elsewhere. He was featured in an in-depth article by Herb Zurkowsky that portrayed him as being a great athlete who is in a tough situation where he needed to keep all his options open. Then, in December 2012, the Als announced thay had signed Kristian to a contract extension. So, we are all hoping to see him get the game action that he deserves in the 2013 season. See the story from the Als website. |
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FIVE EX-CHEETAHS WERE ON 2012 GREY CUP ROSTERS November 26, 2012 |
There were five former Football Cheetahs who were on the team rosters for the 2012 Grey Cup. Seen at left on the top (from left to right) are Randy Chevrier (1995 Cheetahs), Jabari Arthur (2001-02) and Marc Calixte (1996-98) who play for the Calagary Stampeders. (Unfortunately, Marc is on the 9-day injury list.) Seen at left on the bottom are Tristan Black (1993-94) and Danny Desriveaux (1999-2001) who were on the rosters for the Grey Cup-winning Toronto Argonauts. (Both were on the injured list.) Jabari Arthur had been the hottest player, scoring a TD catch in the Western semi-finals VS Saskatchewan on November 11th. (BTW, the video shows it's from 2011, but it's a typo.) Jabari's first TD catch from August, 2011 was a really nice one and was also part of the reason that he was named the CFL’s top Canadian for Week 7 that year. Congratulations for making it to the Grey Cup! |
A SIXTH EX-CHEETAH ALSO PARTICIPATED IN 2012 GREY CUP November 26, 2012 |
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| There was yet another ex-Cheetah who was on the field during the Grey Cup this Sunday. He didn't play for Toronto nor for Calagry. It was none other than our very own Benoit Major who played for the Cheetahs from 1990-1991. Benoit finished his playing career (15 seasons in football) as a linebacker at McGill University. He then went on to officiate at an amateur level and then worked his way up to the CFL. The 39-year-old referee has not chosen the easiest position. As an inside official, he moves most of the time less than 10 yards from the line of scrimmage and is the sole referee on the field who is continually surrounded by players – including the largest defensive backs - which makes his position even more perilous! He has officiated in the CFL long enough that he is now routinely called on for big games such as the 2012 Eastern Conference final between the Als and Toronto. His appearance in the Grey Cup will be the second one of his career. There was an in-depth French article written about him on the rds.ca website on November 20th. |
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BLANC & MARCHAND-WRIGHT NAMED TO CIS ALL-STAR TEAMS November 22, 2012 |
| Two former Cheetahs were named by the CIS onto the Canadian University all-star football teams. Jean-Samuel Blanc (far left) who played at Vanier in 2008, 2009 and 2010 was named on the Defensive First All-Star Team for the position of defensive end. Jean-Samuel is now playing with the Université de Montréal Carabins. Among his many accomplishments, Blanc established a new CIS record this year for quarterback sacks. Way to go, Jean-Samuel! Another former Cheetah named was Kayin Marchand-Wright who played here at Vanier in 2009 and 2010. He was named to the Defensive Second All-Star Team in the position of corner back. Kayin is currently playing for Saint Mary's Huskies. Our congratulations to both of you! For more information on their awards, read the announcement. |
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MARCO BROUILLETTE DOING GREAT WITH THE ALS November 19, 2012 |
Marc Olivier Brouillette has been getting better and better as he seems to be receiving more and more playing time with the Als. He was instrumental in a huge goal-line stand in the 2012 Eastern Finals, and you can watch a video showing his heroics on the Als website. Previously, in an article that appeared in the Journal de Montréal in November 2011, the former Vanier star quarterback was compared to some greats who played in the CFL during the 1950s.You can read a translation of the article and also view a video of his first TD. You can also see a video showing how he converted a faked punt into a tremendous 72-yard romp for his first professional touchdown in 2011. For the latest Marco updates, just click here. |
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JÉRÉMI ROCH DOING GREAT THINGS IN SHERBROOKE! September 11, 2012 |
Jérémie Roch-Doyon is continuing to perform at a high level in his second year as quarterback for the Sherbrooke Vert & Or of the CIS University league. On September 7th, he passed for 340 yards and four touchdowns as visiting Sherbrooke trounced McGill 46-14 before 2340 fans at Percival Molson Stadium. It marked a single-game school record for points by the Vert & Or. Last year, Jérémi won RSEQ's Rookie of the Year Award for all Quebec universitiese and was a finalist for the prestigious Hec Crighton Trophy, given to the MVP in the entire Canadian University league. Jérémi was one of four finalists for the award. Way to go, Jérémie! |
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NORMAN TRADING CLEATS FOR TEXTBOOKS September 2, 2012 |
| Former Vanier star player Matt Norman has decided to leave the CFL's BC Lions and go back to school to complete his teaching degree. Despite receiving glowing reviews from his coaches and teammates, Matt decided now was the best time to finish his degree after which he can return to his professional playing career. Lions coach Mike Benevides said, “When you look at what he had to do as a rookie offensive lineman, right off the bat, he performed at a high level that enabled our offence to run the ball extremely well and (the team) to be extremely effective — and find a way to win six games. He’s been very impressive. He’s got a real bright future in our league.” Read the full story. |
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LIAM MAHONEY PONDERS SWITCH TO BROADCASTING August 23, 2012 |
Following stints with the Ticats and Winnipeg, former Vanier & Concordia star QB Liam Mahoney still hasn’t decided whether he’s going to attempt to continue playing professional football. In the meanwhile, Mahoney has been named the color commentator for the Concordia’s radio football broadcasts on TSN 990 this season, it was announced in mid-August. As we reported previously, Mahoney was named the outstanding rookie in CIS football after joining the Stingers. In his final season, he was a Quebec university league all-star and a CIS all-Canadian. He was also Concordia’s most valuable player in 2008 and ’10. Mahoney moved to receiver before his final year to increase hi options for going pro. He was picked by the Blue Bombers in the 2011 Canadian college draft, but sustained an injury at training camp and was released. He joined the Ticats later that summer. |
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AMEET PALL SURPRISES STAMPS - SIGNS WITH ALS June 25, 2012 |
| Former Cheetah star player Ameet Pall (left) was drafted 5th overall in the entire CFL by the Calgary Stampeders. But after a training camp injury, Calgary chose not to protect him, after which he signed with our own Alouettes! Ameet doesn't have the usual size one expects for a defensive lineman, but he is impressing everyone with both his strength as well as his legendary agility. You can first read a story published in the Calgary Sun from just after his draft selection and then a newer story about his signing with the Als. You can also read all about his exploits with the Wofford Terriers in this web page. Way to go, Ameet! |
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MOE PETRUS SIGNED BY NFL'S TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS! May 7, 2012 |
After being invited to participate in the Tampa Bay Buccaneer pre-training camp on the weekend of May 5-6, Football Cheetah alum Moe Petrus impressed the brass enough for them to sign him on the spot! Moe had previously been named to the First Team All-BIG EAST Conference football team for his work as the starting center for the University of Connecticut Huskies. (Moe was a second team pick with UConn in 2010.) His signing was reported on this page in CBS Sports, and in greater detail (in French) on this page and also from TSN on this page. Congratulations, Moe! |
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FOOTBALL ALUMNI CHOSEN DURING 2012 CFL DRAFT May 4, 2012 |
| Two of our former Cheetahs were snapped up in the CFL Draft. Ameet Pall (far left) went even earlier than expected and was drafted 5th overall in the entire CFL! He will be playing for the Calgary Stampeders. To view a video posted by Calgary about Ameet's selection, click here. Matthew Norman went in a later round and was picked up by BC via Hamilton. Congratulations to you both and welcome to the pro ranks! To see the CFL Draft home page, click here. |
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BRAD COLLINSON NAMED HEAD COACH OF TEAM QUÉBEC March 2, 2012 |
| Football Québec proudly announced the naming of former Cheetah star player Brad Collinson as the new head coach for Team Québec. Brad played as a member of the Football Cheetahs in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and was team captain in '97 and '98. After a stint as a player and captain of the Concordia Stingers from 2001-2002, Brad played for the Montreal Alouettes from 2003-2004. He left the Als to take a position as the Offensive Coordinator with the Stingers where he remained until 2010. To read more on the announcement, you can view this page from the footballquebec.com website. Congratulations, Brad! |
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MARCO BROUILLETTE AND LIAM MAHONEY FEATURED IN A VIDEO & STORY ON MONTREAL GAZETTE WEBSITE March 1, 2012 |
Marc-Olivier Brouillette (a Cheetah from 2003-2005) and Liam Mahoney (2004-2006) were team mates here for two years. They're now both playing in the CFL; Marco is a safety/linebacker with the Als while Liam is a receiver with the Hamilton Ti-Cats. They were recently featured in a video/story published in the Gazette which showed them receiving position specific training at Speed Science Training System gym with trainer Michael Alfonso. It's great to see them back training together! To read the story and view the video, just click here. |
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MARWAN HAGE'S CHARITY WORK HONOURED IN ARTICLE February 1, 2012 |
| Former Cheetahs great Marwan Hage was recently the subject of a feature article describing how he took his childhood experiences in war-torn Lebanon and channeled them into a commitment to a lifetime of volunteerism. The article focused on the charity that Marwan has been running during his long career with the Hamilton Tiger Cats (Hage's Heroes). He was previously honoured for his charity work at the 2009 CFL Awards with the Tom Pate Memorial Award. This award is given to a player with outstanding sportsmanship and one who has made a significant contribution to his team and to his community. Read the article. Find out more about Hage's Heroes on Marwan's website. |
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MARC CALIXTE'S CONTRACT WITH STAMPEDERS EXTENDED January 30, 2012 |
The Calgary Stampeders announced they have extended the contract of former Cheetah star Marc Calixte. Marc has been with the Stamps for 9 seasons and is actually the team's longest serving player. He was a member of Calgary's 2008 Grey Cup winning team and is expected to continue to be a star on their special teams in this, his 10th season. You can read more in this story from the Calgary Herald. |
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ANTHONY BARRETTE IS SIGNED BY ALS! January 27, 2012 |
Congratulations to Anthony Barrette who was recently signed by our very own Montreal Alouettes. Barrette (6'5", 320 lbs.) helped anchor a solid Concordia Stingers offensive line during his university career. Not only was he a Quebec conference all-star and second team CIS all-Canadian in 2010 with the Stingers, but he was also a three-time all-star here at Vanier College in the CEGEP AAA league. Way to go, Anthony! Find out more in this page from the Alouettes' website. Also, here's a TSN video on Anthony. |
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1978 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PHOTOS January 27, 2012 |
A member from the 1978 Championship-winning team sent us a series of photographs taken during the course of the finals of that year. Note that the championship trophy (seen at left) looked like a beer stein! It's really interesting to see the old Vanier Cheetahs crest which is seen just next to it. To view photos sent by alum Eddie Ercolano, click here. |
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AMEET PALL AND MATT NORMAN ARE ON LIST OF TOP 15 CFL PROSPECTS January 17, 2012 |
Defensive end Ameet Pall who has been playing at Wofford U and Matt Norman an offensive lineman finishing off his time at Western Ontario University have both been listed on the top-15 list of prospects for the CFL Draft in May 2012. The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be selecting first overall, Edmonton will select second and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are set to pick third. To view the full CFL Draft Prospects list of 2012, just click here. |
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MOE PETRUS IS NAMED TO THE FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG EAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM December 8, 2011 |
Football Cheetah alum Moe Petrus has been named to the First Team All-BIG EAST Conference football team for his work as the starting center for the University of Connecticut Huskies. It marks the second-straight season that Petrus has been singled out for all-star honours. (Moe was a second team pick in 2010.) He is in his last year at the University of Connecticut and is a solid contender for selection in the NFL Draft. Congratulations, Moe! Read more in an article from the University of Connecticut website. Also, here's a video on Moe from TSN. |
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A BLAST FROM THE PAST December 7, 2011 |
An alum from the 1976-1977 teams took the time to send us a 1977 team photo as well as a brief article that was a retrospective of the 1976 season. With his info, (and help from statistician Solange Boyer) we have also updated the list of all-time Cheetahs linked at the top of this page. Just click on the the photo at left to see a high resolution version with players names written at the bottom. To view the 1976 season retrospective article (with a photo), just click here. |
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GUILLAUME GAGNIER, ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY ALL-STAR HOPES TO HIT THE PRO LEAGUES IN NEXT FEW YEARS November 24, 2011 |
We were happy to hear that alum Guillaume Gagnier was selected as an all-star by the AUS (Atlantic University Sports) for his work with the Saint Mary's Huskies. Guillaume is doing extremely well with the team and is hoping to crack the CFL in the next few years. While playing with the Vanier Cheetahs, Guillaume won a Bol d'Or with us in 2007. Félicitations, Guillaume! Read an article from the Courier Laval. |
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JÉRÉMI ROCH JUST MISSES NATIONAL MVP AWARD... AS A ROOKIE! November 24, 2011 |
Jérémi Roch came close to winning the prestigious Hec Crighton Trophy, given to the Most Valuable Player in the Canadian University league. Jérémi was one of four finalists for the award, but lost to Billy Green of the UBC Thunderbirds. Still, for a rookie quarterback to be even nominated is a huge honour. Jérémi won the RSEQ's Rookie of the Year Award for all Quebec universities. He is expected to continue as the starting quarterback for the Sherbrooke Vert et Or in the upcoming 2012 season. Awesome, Jérémi! |
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MATT NORMAN AND KAYIN MARCHAND-WRIGHT PICKED FOR 2011 UNIVERSITY ALL-STAR TEAMS November 9, 2011 |
Ontario University Athletics announced their 2011 Football All-Stars. Former Cheetah Matt Norman, (far left) now playing for Western University, was selected as a Guard on the OAU's First All-Star Team. See announcement. As well, Kayin Marchand-Wright, (to the right of Matt) playing in his first year with Saint Mary's University, was picked as a Defensive Cornerback in the 2011 Atlantic University Sport All Stars. View the announcement. Congratulations, Matt and Kayin! |
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MARCO BROUILLETTE SHINES WITH THE ALOUETTES November 9, 2011 |
In an article that appeared in the Journal de Montréal of November 3rd, former Vanier star quarterback Marc-Olivier Brouillette was compared to some greats who played in the CFL during the 1950s. The article talks about his unique abilities to excel both in an offensive as well as a defensive role with the Montreal Alouettes as they head into the playoffs. Subsequent to the article being published, we saw a great display of his offensive talents when he converted a faked punt into a tremendous 72-yard romp for his first professional touchdown. You can read a translation of the article and also view a video of his first TD. Just click here. |
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JÉRÉMI ROCH NAMED QUEBEC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR; ALSO IN THE RUNNING FOR THE NATIONAL AWARD November 7, 2011 |
| Our quarterback from 2009-2010, Jérémi Roch, who helped lead our team to a Provincial Bol d'Or Championship for 2010, (he's currently the quarterback for the Sherbrooke Vert & Or) was named as the RSEQ's University Football Rookie of the Year on November 6th. Jérémi is also a candidate for the Peter Gorman Trophy as national rookie of the year after finishing sixth in passing in the country, completing 177 of 313 attempts, a 56.5 per cent pass rate, for a Vert & Or record 2,383 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The 19-year-old business student was second in the conference in passing yards average per game with 264.8. Way to go, Jérémi! See the announcement. |
Cory Watson: Having a great year in CFL |
CORY WATSON ON A STREAK WITH WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS October 21, 2011 |
| Alum Cory Watson's return to Montreal September 18th VS the Als was highlighted with his electrifying 92 yard catch and run in the first half. He had another great game on September 11th, hauling in 9 receptions for 111 yards. Also, following his 75-yard performance during a win over Toronto in July, Cory was named the CFL's Canadian Player of the Week. Watson, a former member of the Concordia Stingers, was the Blue Bombers number one draft pick for 2010 and is now in his second year with the team. Alright, Cory! This just in: Cory was featured in a Gazette article from Sept. 30 plus an article from Oct. 21st. As well, an August 3rd article in the Winnipeg Sun predicted that Cory could be the first Canadian Blue Bomber to crack 1000 yards since 1995! Read the story with a great photo. Also, Cory was just listed in a TSN article as one of the top 8 candidates for CFL Canadian Player of the Year. Finally, read an earlier article from April 2011. |
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JABARI ARTHUR CITED BY HIS QB AS A TOP "GO-TO" GUY IN CFL October 5, 2011 |
In an article in the Calgary Herald of October 5th, Calgary Stampeders quarterback Henry Burris stated that he believes Jabari Arthur (former star Cheetahs quarterback and currently playing for the Stamps as a slotback) is on the verge of becoming one of the top go-to guys in the Canadian Football League. In the article, Burris notes especially Jabari's ability to make circus-type catches routinely. After suffering a series of debilitating injuries over the past few seasons, the fact that Arthur is now healthy should make DBs on the other teams more than just a little nervous! You can click to read the entire article. |
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JÉRÉMI ROCH THROWS 2 TD PASSES IN EACH OF HIS 1ST UNIVERSITY GAMES, BOTH WINS FOR HIS UNIVERSITY OF SHERBROOKE VERT & OR September 12, 2011 |
| Our quarterback from 2009-2010, Jérémi Roch, who helped lead our team to a Provincial Bol d'Or Championship last year, is the starting quarterback in his rookie season with the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. In his first game with the team on September 4th, they held on to beat the Bishop’s Gaiters 25-23. Jérémi threw for 214 yards and 2 TDs for Sherbrooke. In his second game on September 11th, he passed for a whopping 362 yards and 2 TDs as the Vert et Or rallied for a 39-13 road victory over McGill. Awesome start, Jérémi! (Click on his photo for a larger version.) |
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SHAWN
MAYNE JOINS CHEETAHS COACHING STAFF Former Cheetah Shawn Mayne (left) was originally drafted in the third round (18th overall) by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 2006 CFL Canadian Draft. Mayne was a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 2006-09 (he played in the 2007 Grey Cup game against Saskatchewan) before being traded to the Montreal Alouettes. While in Montreal, Shawn was a member of the Als’ Grey Cup teams in 2009 and 2010! After a spell with the Calgary Stampeders, Shawn moved back to Montreal where he has joined our Vanier Football Cheetahs coaching staff. Great to have you back, Shawn! |
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KELLY WILTSHIRE STILL TACKLING THE BAD GUYS September 3, 2011 |
Former Cheetah and Montreal Alouette star player Kelly Wiltshire was the subject of an excellent feature article in the Montreal Gazette written by Herb Zurkowsky on September 3rd. The story focuses on Kelly's new career as an officer in the Ontario Provincial Police. After his years with the Cheetahs at Vanier, Kelly had a long career primarily with the Montreal Alouettes. To read the article in its entirety, just click for more. |
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PALL DOING GREAT THINGS IN SOUTH CAROLINA September 1, 2011 |
| Ameet Pall continues to delight his coaches and strike terror in the hearts of the quarterbacks whom he faces as a top-rated member of the Wofford Terriers defensive line. Last season, he registered 22.5 tackles for loss and was responsible for 12.5 sacks, the fourth most in school history and also eighth in all of the United States! In January, he came second in the voting for the extremely prestigious Buck Buchanan Award given to the outstanding defensive player in the FCS and presented by The Sports Network. Insiders believe Ameet is a shoe-in for the 2011 award if he continues to play as he has been. Way to go, Ameet! Read more. |
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JABARI ARTHUR NAMED CFL'S CANADIAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK August 16, 2011 |
The CFL Canadian player of the week award was handed to Calgary wide receiver Jabari Arthur. Jabari played for the Vanier Cheetahs from 2000-2002. He had the strongest game of his CFL career in the Stamps' 45-35 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on August 12th. Arthur had seven receptions for 92 yards including his first career CFL touchdown, a 23-yarder. Tremendous work, Jabari! We're very proud of the great job you're doing for the Stamps. Read the story. Update! Jabari was featured in a video clip about his first touchdown. View it. |
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NOW PLAYING WITH THE CALGARY STAMPEDERS, Former Cheetah Adrian Davis was featured in a feature article we found in the Ottawa Citizen where he talks about his battle to recover from a severe concussion. In the story, Adrian goes on to mention how he relishes the support of his current Calgary team mates (and also ex-Cheetahs) Jabari Arthur and Shawn Mayne. Read the full story. |
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MAHONEY AND BARRETTE PICKED IN 2011 CFL DRAFT Congratulations to Vanier Football Cheetah alumni (and also former team mates on the Concordia Stingers) Liam Mahoney and Anthony Barrette (seen at left) who were selected in the 2011 CFL Draft. Apparently there was a record number of Quebec players who were selected this year. Way to go, Liam and Anthony! Click for the full list. |
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ELEVEN QUEBEC-BORN CHEETAHS CURRENTLY PLAYING IN CFL June 23, 2011 |
| No fewer than 11 former Cheetahs appeared in a list of 44 CFL players playing in the 2011 season who originate from Quebec. The list was published by the Montreal Alouettes. (Click to see the full list.) |
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FORMER CHEETAHS WIN BURSARIES FROM ALS June 14, 2011 |
| Many graduating Vanier football and basketball student-athletes received confirmation in June 2011 from the Fondation de l'athlete de l'excellence that they will receive a recruitment bursary between $3000 and $7000. Vanier winners from the AAA football team were Jérémi Roch, (seen in the photo at left) James Sifakis, and Byron Perez-Archambault. Congratulations to you all. (Click to see their photos.) |
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THREE CHEETAH ALUMNI DRAFTED BY CFL! May 2011 |
| Congratulations to the three former Cheetahs selected in the CFL Draft on May 8, 2011. All played under Coach Peter Chryssomalis from 2004-2006. Moe Petrus (far left) was selected by Hamilton as the 10th pick in Round 2. Anthony Barrette (middle) was selected by Montreal as the 16th pick in Round 2. Liam Mahoney (at right) was selected as the 41st pick in Round 6 by Winnipeg. | |
| ALSO: A Gazette story from May 10th on Anthony Barrette's selection by the Als plus one on Liam Mahoney from May 7th. | |
 Sanchez Deschamps, Samael Lavaud, Matt Normand |
3 EX-PLAYERS AND 5 EX-COACHES IN EAST-WEST BOWL May 3, 2011 |
Sanchez Deschamps, Samael Lavaud and Matthew Normand will all play in the East-West Bowl on May 7th at TD Waterhouse Stadium of the University of Western Ontario. This game is considered a showcase of future CFL players. Former Cheetah coaches involved include Brad Collinson, Ray Gagnon and Phil Robert for the East team as well as Harry Laflamme and Warren Craney for the West. Read the press release in French. |
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ANTHONY THOMPSON SECURES SCHOLARSHIP TO UCLA Head Coach Peter Chryssomalis announced that former Cheetahs All Star Defensive Back Anthony Thompson (left) has signed a full scholarship to play Football at UCLA. Anthony played 3 seasons at Vanier and was an integral part of our championship team in 2010. Anthony will be attending UCLA beginning this March. Coach Chryssomalis noted that Anthony is the first Vanier athlete to ever receive a scholarship from UCLA. Congratulations, Anthony! |
 Liam Mahoney, Anthony Barrette and Michael Harrington |
MAHONEY, BARRETTE & HARRINGTON WIN AWARDS Liam Mahoney, Anthony Barrette and Michael Harrington all received major awards at the Concordia Stingers Football Banquet. Liam was named the Outstanding Player for 2010 and was also their Offensive MVP. Anthony Barrette, a top CFL prospects, received the Outstanding Linesman award, while Michael Harrington was named top rookie on offence. Read more. |
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JESSE JOSEPH IS ROCKIN' WITH THE UCONN HUSKIES Jesse Joseph was featured in a recent article in the Courrier Laval detailing his experiences playing in front of 70,000 people at the Fiesta Bowl on January 2, 2011. In the article, Jesse says, "The atmosphere was sensational. The 70,000 spectators were incredibly excited and the feeling inside during the game was completely unbelievable." When Jesse started with the University of Connecticut Huskies in 2009, he was the first true freshman to start every game for the team since 2004. As good as his stats were in 2009, his 2010 season was even better. Read more. |
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MAHONEY AND BARRETTE ARE CIS ALL-STARS It was announced that Cheetahs football alumni Liam Mahoney (far left) and Anthony Barrette (to his right), currently members of the Concordia Stingers, have been placed on the CIS All-Star team for 2010. Read more. As well, Anthony Barrette has been placed on the list of the Top 15 CFL Prospects. Read more. Congratulations Liam and Anthony! |
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THREE CHEETAHS SIGN WITH U OF M CARABINS The Université de Montréal Carabins are signing three members of the 2010 Bol d'Or winning Cheetahs. From left to right are Jean-Samuel Blanc, Jimmy Mouhteros and Djonatan Buissereth who were all picked by the Carabins for their 2011 team. Read more. |
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JÉRÉMI ROCH SIGNS WITH SHERBROOKE VERT & OR Jérémi Roch pretty well re-wrote the record book for Vanier quarterbacks. During his three years here, Jérémi broke no fewer than 5 of the 8 categories for pass receptions, including most touchdowns, most total yards, highest completion average and fewest interceptions. And all this while playing for a team with a reputation for offensive excellence especially at the position of quarterback. It therefore came as no surprise to read that Jérémi had signed with the Sherbrooke Vert & Or of the Canadian University league. Read more. |
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CHEETAH ALUMNI IN 2010 GREY CUP No fewer than five former Cheetahs were part of the 2010 Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes roster, four of them repeat winners from last year. We also had a repeat winner in Jean-Marc Edme of the Als management team. Congratulations also to alum Obed Cétoute who played for the losing Saskatchewan Roughriders. For the full story on these alumni, just click to read more. |
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AMEET PALL WOWS 'EM AT WOFFORD During his time as a Football Cheetah, Ameet Pall (left) was one of the biggest reasons behind the success of the team. Apart from anchoring the defense of a Cheetahs team that dominated throughout the 2006 and 2007 seasons that led to consecutive Bol d'Or championships, Ameet also took home Defensive Player of the Game honours in both Bol d'Or. His work in the U.S. has been no less exemplary. It was recently announced that he has won the Defensive Player of the Year award (Souther Conference) for his work with the Wofford Terriers from South Carolina. Read more. |
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LIAM MAHONEY NAMED TO QUFL DREAM TEAM It was announced that former star Cheetah quarterback Liam Mahoney has been named to the Quebec University Football League all-star team. After playing at Vanier, Liam joined the Concordia Stingers, first playing as a quarterback and and then converting into a receiver. In 2008, he was named by the Stingers as their outstanding offensive football player and was also named the their MVP after piling up more than 2,000 yards of offence. Liam had previously been voted as the top Canadian rookie and Stinger's MVP in 2007. Read more about his recent all-star award. |
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KABONGO
KEEPS ON GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Patrick Kabongo has been a long-standing and successful player with the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos with a strong background in community involvement. His drive to raise funds for a Wellspring Edmonton Cancer Center is detailed in this web page which includes a great video. In 2009, he was given the honour of winning the David Boone Community Service Award for the second consecutive year. Patrick was also a repeat nominee for the CFL Player's Association's Tom Pate Award, given to a player for his commitment to the league, his team and his community . Read more about this story. |
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MOE PETRUS RATED THE NUMBER 4 TOP CFL PROSPECT Muhammad (Moe) Petrus was listed recently as the #4 top CFL prospect in all of Canada. His name appears in the list of the top 15 prospects posted in September 2010. In January 2009, Moe was picked for the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team. An integral part of the offensive line of the University of Connecticut Huskies, Petrus had previously been named in December 2008 to the Sporting News 2008 All-Freshmen college football team. See Moe's name on the CFL Prospects list. |
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TRISTAN BLACK SIGNED BY TORONTO ARGONAUTS Former Cheetah Linebacker Tristan Black was just signed by the CFL's Toronto Argonauts. Coach Jim Barker says he expects to use Tristan on the Special Teams unit right away. Black was drafted in the second round (16th overall) of the 2009 CFL Canadian Draft. In four seasons at Wayne State, Tristan made 289 tackles and 11 sacks. In his fourth season there, he recorded 101 total tackles and four sacks and was named to the second-team conference squad. Black received the team's Ultimate Warrior award for outstanding work in the weight room. Read the full article. Also, see a video. |
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KEVIN CHALLENGER SIGNED BY MONTREAL ALOUETTES July 8, 2010 |
| After several years as a star receiver with the Boston College Eagles, followed by two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos, former Cheetah Kevin Challenger was signed by the Alouettes in a story published in the Montreal Gazette. Kevin is still recovering from a lower back injury sustained in training camp, but he feels he'll be ready to give his all when asked to perform. If all goes well, he'll join former Cheetah Danny Desriveaux as a pass receiver for the Als. Congratulations, Kevin! Read the full story. |
May 3, 2010
  Kristian Matte, Cory Watson and Marc-Olivier Brouillette |
Former star Cheetahs players Kristian Matte, Cory Watson and Marc-Olivier Brouillette were all selected in the 2010 CFL Draft held on Sunday, May 2, 2010. Kristian Matte (offensive lineman) played for Vanier in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and was picked by Montreal in the first round. Cory Watson (wide receiver) played for Vanier in 2003-2004 and 2005 and was selected by Winnipeg in the second round. Read a recent Gazette article on Cory. Finally, Marc-Olivier Brouillette (quarterback) played for Vanier in 2003-2004 and 2005 and was picked by Montreal in the 3rd round. Full CFL Draft info. |
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CORY WATSON NOW RATED AS A TOP CFL PROSPECT December 8, 2009 |
| Former star Cheetahs player Cory Watson has been playing tremendously well with the Concordia Stingers over the past few years. The CFL scouting bureau rankings for their top-15 prospects were recently announced and the Concordia receiver leaped from 14th place to 6th place in the list, the biggest jump among those listed. In 2009, Cory racked up 52 receptions (821 yards) and 6 TDs during 8 games with the Stingers this season. A 2nd-team CIS all-Canadian, Watson led the QUFL in receptions and was 2nd in total receiving yards in 2009. Way to go, Cory! Read the Press Release. |
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DESRIVEAUX AND MAYNE JOIN LAMBERT AS FORMER Congratulations to former Football Cheetahs and current Montreal Alouettes Danny Desriveaux (far left) and Shawn Mayne (left) who have joined Paul Lambert (below Danny and Shawn at left) as Grey Cup winners playing for the Montreal Alouettes. Other Vanier alumni on the Als' staff were Max Hanna and Jean-Marc Edme (seen at left on the bottom, right) Last year, we had no fewer than three ex-Cheetahs: Randy Chevrier (1995 Cheetahs), Jabari Arthur (2001-02) and Marc Calixte (1996-98) who won the Grey Cup with the Stampeders, but Danny and Shawn are the first ex-Cheetahs to win as a member of the Als since Paul Lambert joined the team in 2003. |
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MARWAN HAGE WINS CFL'S TOM PATE MEMORIAL AWARD Football alum Marwan Hage has played over 6 seasons with the Hamilton Tiger Cats. At the 2009 CFL Awards of November 27th, Marwan was presented with the Tom Pate Memorial Award. This special prize is given to a CFL player who displays qualities and outstanding sportsmanship that distinguish them from their peers. The recipient also must be someone who has made a significant contribution to his team and to his community and the Players Association. Marwan has a strong history of paying back to the community. Find out more and read related articles. |
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KABONGO
AND HAGE UP FOR SAME TWO CFL AWARDS In a strange twist of fate, former Vanier Cheetah football stars Patrick Kabongo (far left) and Marwan Hage (to his right) have both been nominated for the same two CFL Player Awards: Most Outstanding Canadian Player and Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman. You can read about Patrick's nomination on this web page. Congratulations to you both. May the best Cheetah win! Read below for other stories about Patrick and Marwan's amazing community work. |
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MARILYN MORE TOUCHES BASE WITH FORMER VANIER STARS IN THE CFL Academic Advising's Marilyn More, who has a long-standing rapport with many members of our Football Cheetahs had a chance to meet up with some former Cheetahs stars who are all excelling in professional football careers. Seen with Marilyn at left are Kevin Challenger of the Edmonton Eskimos, Danny Desriveaux of the Montreal Alouettes and Patrick Kabongo of the Edmonton Eskimos. You can click on the photo for a high-res version. |
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KABONGO
WINS SECOND HUMANITARIAN AWARD IN EDMONTON Patrick Kabongo has been a long-standing and successful player with the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos. He was recently given the unique honour of winning the David Boone Community Service Award for the second consecutive year. Patrick was also a repeat nominee for the CFLPA (CFL PLayer's Association) Tom Pate Award, which is given to a player for his commitment to the league, his team and his community . Read more. |
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MARWAN HAGE IS PAYING IT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Football alum Marwan Hage is a 6-year veteran with the Hamilton Tiger Cats. He was recently featured in two separate articles that appeared in the Montreal Gazette and in the Calgary Herald. The Gazette article is a feature story on Marwan talking about the great community work he has been doing in Hamilton. The second article describes Marwan hanging out with Ti-Cats great Angelo Mosca looking for a way to rekindle the glory days. Great stuff. Find out more and read the articles. |
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WITH FOUNDING OF ATHLETIC ACADEMY, Former Cheetah stars Adrian Davis, Shawn Mayne, Kevin Challenger, Jabari Arthur, Jonathan Williams and Blake Butler all made it to the pro ranks in the CFL. They have collaborated to create an organization called The Athletic Academy whose principal purpose is to offer counseling and support to up and coming football players looking for a chance to have a professional career themselves. Read their story. |
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TRISTAN BLACK SIGNED BY CALGARY STAMPEDERS Former Cheetah Linebacker Tristan Black was recently signed by the CFL's Calgary Stampeders. Black was drafted in the second round (16th overall) of the 2009 CFL Canadian Draft. In four seasons at Wayne State, Tristan made 289 tackles and 11 sacks. In his fourth season, he recorded 101 total tackles and four sacks and was named to the second-team conference squad. Black received the team's Ultimate Warrior award for outstanding work in the weight room. Congratulations, Tristan! You can also read a previous article on him from the CFL.ca website. |
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MARC CALIXTE RETURNS HOME WITH THE GREY CUP Football alum Marc Calixte, who played on the 2008 Grey Cup winning Calgary Stampeders had a chance to show off the Cup when he recently returned to visit his home in Laval. Marc's achievement was celebrated in a special ceremony held at Laval's City Hall attended by Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt. You can read more about the story (in French) in this article. To see a larger version of the photo at left, click here. |
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MYLES GIBBON SIGNS WITH USA (UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA, THAT IS) Myles Gibbon recently signed a Letter of Intent with the University of South Alabama Jaguars. With his selection, Myles becomes the first Canadian quarterback ever signed by a Division 1-A American university in his first year. This is the university's inaugural year in the highly competitive Sun Belt Conference. Congratulations, Myles, on this huge honour! Read the whole story. |
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LIAM MAHONEY TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYER AND MVP FOR STINGERS February 5, 2009 |
| Former star Cheetahs quarterback Liam Mahoney was named the outstanding offensive football player at the Concordia Stingers annual team awards banquet held Saturday, January 31st. Mahoney was also named the team's Most Valuable Player after piling up more than 2,000 yards of offence. He passed for 1,478 yards and rushed for 559 more. Liam threw six touchdown passes and scored seven himself along the ground, guiding the Stingers to a 5-3 second-place finish in the Quebec University Football League. Liam had previously been voted as the top Canadian rookie and team's MVP in 2007. |
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PETRUS NAMED TO U.S. COLLEGE FRESHMAN ALL-STAR TEAM January 8, 2009 |
| Former Cheetahs star Muhammad Petrus has just been named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team. Petrus has been an integral part of the offensive line of the University of Connecticut Huskies where he has played for all 12 games this season, paving the way for their team's (and the country's) top rusher, Donald Brown. Read the story. He had previously been named on December 16, 2008 to the Sporting News 2008 All-Freshmen college football team. Read that story. Way to go, Mo! Vanier is proud of your accomplishments. |
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FIVE EX-CHEETAHS PLAY IN 2008 GREY CUP November 24, 2008 |
There were five former Football Cheetahs at the 2008 Grey Cup. Seen at left on the top (from left to right) are Randy Chevrier (1995 Cheetahs), Jabari Arthur (2001-02) and Marc Calixte (1996-98) who played for the winning Stampeders. Seen at left on the bottom are Paul Lambert (1993-94) and Danny Desriveaux (1999-2001) who played for the Als. Also on the Al's team was their assistant coach Jean-Marc Edmé who played with us in 1998-99. Another Vanier link to the Alouettes is our very own Max Hanna, Cheetahs Head Athletic Therapist, who also happens to be the Als' assistant Athletic Therapist. More: Read a recent article on Paul Lambert and Danny Desriveaux. |
VANIER CUP 2008:There are also four former Cheetahs who played in the 2008 Vanier Cup, symbolic of Canadian University Football supremacy. They are Andrew Hrytzak, Adam Hrytzak as well as (seen at right) Matthew Norman (all three played for Western U) and Sammy Lavaud (far right) who played for the victorious Laval Rouge et Or. More: You can read a recent article on Matt Norman. |
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DANNY
DESRIVEAUX TOUTED AS RECEIVER OF THE FUTURE FOR ALS Danny Desriveaux was the subject of an article in the West Island Chronicle that describes his rise to fame. Read the story. He was previously the subject of a story in the Montreal Gazette early in the Als' 2008 season, published after a win over Winnipeg in which he caught eight passes for 105 yards and scored a touchdown. In the article, Danny is spoken of as the person most likely to follow in Ben Cahoon's footsteps as the next, great Canadian receiver. Read the story. |
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KABONGO
CONTINUES TO SHINE WITH ESKS IN EDMONTON Patrick Kabongo was recently the subject of two articles in the Edmonton Sun. Latest Story Previous story. We were also happy to hear in April 2008 that Patrick was honoured with a selection as a CFLPA (Canadian Football League Players Association) All-Star. Read full story. After leaving Vanier, Patrick went on to the University of Nebraska and has been a regular with the Eskimos for six seasons. He appeared with them (as well as two other Vanier Football alumni) in the 2005 Grey Cup. Read that story. |
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LIAM MAHONEY IGNITES "HAIL MARY" WIN OVER U OF M
October 6, 2008 Former Vanier football star Liam Mahoney has been having a great follow-up season after winning the CIS Rookie of the Year Award last season. He was featured in a Montreal Gazette article that details his clutch last-second TD throw to Sanchez Deschamps (another Vanier Cheetah alumnus) for a heart-stopping 19-18 win over the University of Montréal Carabins. Read the entire article. |
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JABARI
ARTHUR SIGNED BY CALGARY STAMPEDERS The Calgary Stampeders just announced the addition of receiver Jabari Arthur to their practice roster. Arthur was originally drafted by the Stampeders in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2007 Canadian Football League draft. He spent 2007 with the Akron University Zips where he caught 86 passes for 1,171 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games. Congratulations, Jabari! |
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KEVIN
CHALLENGER IMPRESSES WITH ESKIMOS Former Vanier football star Kevin Challenger has been performing well with the Edmonton Eskimos. Kevin was a top wide receiver for the Boston Eagles and lead them to a Citrus Bowl win in December 2007. He was a starter there for most of the 2006-2007 seasons. Kevin was recently the subject of a September 21st profile that appeared in the Montreal Gazette. You can also read more about Kevin including another recent article from the Edmonton Journal. Just click here. |
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PALL
LANDS RARE FRESHMAN POSITION IN WOFFORD LINEUP Ameet Pall has been named one of the few freshmen Defensive Lineman ever in Wofford University history to win a place in the starting lineup. Read the story. Pall was previously named MVP of the Bol d’Or in both 2006 and 2007 and also received all-league honours. He holds the CEGEP AAA all-time and single season sack records. Congratulations, Ameet! |
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SAMMY
OKPRO SIGNED BY CFL'S EDMONTON ESKIMOS Congratulations to Sammy Okpro who was recently signed by the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos. After a great run here at Vanier, Sammy went on to star for the Concordia Stingers. In February 2008, he was named the team's MVP for the 2007 season, becoming the first Stinger to achieve All-Canadian status 3 times. Read the story. |
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MUHAMMAD
PETRUS PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN THE Former Vanier football star defensive lineman Muhammad Petrus, who is currently doing great playing as an offensive lineman with the University of Connecticut Huskies, was written up in a nice article that appeared in the Connecticut Post. Good on ya, Mo! View the page. |
Note:
Liam Mahoney received the National Rookie of the Year
Award on November 22, 2007. See his story just below.
SHAUGHNESSY
CUP: POST-GAME PHOTO
 Photo taken after Shaughnessy Cup game between Concordia and McGill on Oct. 20 which Concordia won 59-30 under QB Liam Mahoney (#14). Photo shows current Cheetahs Daryl Rankin, Matt Norman and Duraney White in the farthest back row with former Cheetahs who now play for the two local universities. Click for a high-res version.
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OTHER RECENT STORIES
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From October 2007: Playing in his first year as a Concordia Stinger, former Cheetah star quarterback Liam Mahoney had one heck of a game against the Université de Montréal Carabins. Read all about his exploits in a Gazette article from September 30th. Liam was later featured in another Gazette article on October 20th. Click to read it. |
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From September 2007: Former Cheetah star (and current Montreal Alouette) Shaun Diner was recently the subject of a feature article about him published in the Montreal Gazette of September 21st. |
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From August 2007: Former Cheetah star receiver Mike Alfonso is presently a top prospect, signed by the University of Windsor Lancers. He was recently featured in an article about him that was published in the Windsor Star. You can read the entire article. |
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From May 2007: Former Cheetah stars Jabari Arthur and Kevin Challenger were both selected in the first round of the 2007 CFL Draft by the Calgary Stampeders. |
| THIS JUST IN: The Montreal Alouettes announced a few days later on May 10th that three players, including 2006 Alouette draft pick Danny Desriveaux, have been added to the roster for the team’s upcoming training camp. Desriveaux, a former star player for the Vanier Football Cheetahs, is a product of the University of Richmond, where he played two seasons. He began his university career at Connecticut after finishing at Vanier College. Danny is 25. |  |
MAY 12, 2007: VANIER ALUMNI POSE AFTER CIS ALL-STAR GAME
This photo was taken on May 12, 2007 after the East-West CIS game. Three of the four players above are Vanier alumni currently playing for the Concordia Stingers. From left to right: William Miller, Nathan Agadzi, Tom Kuchuran and Sammy Okpro. (Tom is the one that did not attend Vanier).
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Former
Football Star Tshimanga Biakabutuka APRIL 27, 2007 |
Perhaps
one of Vanier's most famous football alumni, Tshimanga, who signed
a 12.7 million dollar contract with the Carolina Panthers in 1996,
recently had an extensive article written about his career and
what he's been up to in the last few years since his retirement
from the NFL. Click
for  |
OLDER STORIES:
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From November 2006: Former Cheetah receiver Kevin Challenger was featured in an interview & story on the NFL Canada website. Read more. In another article published in the Montreal Gazette, Kevin's career with the Boston College Eagles was extensively profiled. Read more. |
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Also from November 2006: In a story published in the Montreal Gazette, it was announced that former Vanier football star Sammy Okpro has been named to the All Canadian defensive team following his great work with the Concordia Stingers for their 2006 season. Read more. |
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From
July 2006: In
a story published in the Windsor Star, it was announced that former
Vanier defensive back Matt Regis has signed with the Windsor Lancers. Read more. |
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From
Nov. 2005: No
less than three Cheetah Football alumni played in the 2005 Grey
Cup game between Montreal and Edmonton on November 27th. Read
more. |
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From Oct. 2005: Cheetah Football Alumni Blake Butler and Cedric Ferdinand (seen at left), who are both currently playing for the Concordia Stingers, were featured in a Gazette article from October 16, 2005 that focused on how they both share a rich football family tradition. |
Also
from Oct. 2005: Vanier Alumni from 2004 team
reunite at Concordia-Sherbrooke match
Left to right: #30 Cedric
Ferdinand, Concordia, # 40 David Lavoie, Sherbrooke,
#91 William Miller, Concordia and #1 Sammy Okpro, Concordia
From Aug. 2005: Darrell Edwards, now playing in the CFL, is featured in a Gazette article
From Dec. 2004: Shaun Diner, Vanier QB from 2000 signed by the Als
From Oct. 2004: Football alumnus Kevin Challenger sent us the following photos he wished to share. Kevin was one of several talented Vanier players whose selection for scholarships in the U.S. was the subject of a Montreal Gazette article, featured on this Athletics website. With his photos, plus a few we were able to dig up ourselves, we've produced this Football Alumni page.
Thanks to
Kevin for taking the time to keep us up-to-date!
Read
a CFL blog from September 2007 where Challenger is referred to as
the next Ben Cahoon.
Old friends reunite at a
US College game. From left to right:
Shawn Mayne (DE, Connecticut Huskies), Kevin Challenger (WR, Boston
College Eagles),
Danny Desriveaux (WR, Connecticut Huskies) and non-alumnus Francois
Brochu formerly of Champlain-Lennoxville (LS, Boston College Eagles).
Former Cheetah QB Jabari
Arthur now plays for the University of Akron Zips
Kevin Challenger scoring
a touchdown for his team the Boston College Eagles
Obed Cetoute-Genaille (WR)
from a newspaper article published in Toledo, Ohio.
He plays for the Central Michigan Chippewas.
Two photos of Blake Butler
who played for Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California.
Adrian Davis played for
the Thundering Herd of the University of Marshall in Huntington, West
Virginia.
Here are some of the Vanier College student athletes who went on to play pro football:
Jabari Arthur Calgary Anthony Barrette Montreal Ray Bernard Ottawa, Montreal Claudio Bertone Toronto Tim Biakabutuka Carolina Tristan Black Saskatchewan, Calgary, Toronto Marc-Olivier Brouillette Montreal Marc Calixte Calgary Craig Carr Edmonton, Montreal Obed Cétoute Sakatchewan Kevin Challenger Edmonton, Montreal Randy Chevrier Cincinnati, Edmonton, Calgary Andre Clarke Montreal Brad Collinson Montreal Adrian Davis Calgary David De La Peralle Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary Danny Desriveaux Montreal Mike Dibatista Saskatchewan Shaun Diner Montreal Farrel Duclare Calgary, Winnipeg Darnell Edwards Sakatchewan James Eggink Montreal Hicham El-Mishtoub Houston, Tennessee, Edmonton Pascal Fils Edmonton Alton Francis Saskatchewan Angelo Filosa Montreal Robert Forrest Ottawa Greg Fournier Saskatchewan Obed Genaille Calgary Rahsaan Giddings Montreal Warren Grant Ottawa Marwan Hage Hamilton Rudy Hage Montreal Erico Hakim Hamilton Mike Hendricks Ottawa Andrew Henry Winnipeg, Calgary, Toronto, Saskatchewan, Ottawa Patrick Kabongo Edmonton Paul Lambert Hamilton, Montreal Shawn Mayne Hamilton, Montreal, Winnipeg Richard McCrory Ottawa Richard Mercier Cleveland Tom Monios Saskatchewan, Toronto James Monroe Ottawa, Saskatchewan Curtis Nash Winnipeg, Saskatchewan Sammy Okro, Edmonton John Petrella Montreal Bob Pantaleidis Calgary, Winnipeg George Savard Ottawa Nigel Smith Calgary Larry Titley Montreal Paul Vajda Saskatchewan Cory Watson Winnipeg Kelly Wiltshire Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton Frank Yeboah-Kodie Ottawa, Toronto Phil Yeboah-Kodie Indianapolis, Carolina Steve Zatylny Winnipeg |
NOTE: You can see a comprehensive listing of ALL football players who donned a
Cheetahs jersey between 1978 and 2012, as compiled by Solange Boyer. Click here.
(Also note: if we somehow missed you or if you played before 1978, you can email us and we'll add you to the list.)
ALSO: You can view the full season results of any team between 1978 and 2012. Click here.
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