Health of Alexander top storyline out of Alouettes’ camp

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This article was published 11/11/2025 (307 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Davis Alexander is admittedly not fully healthy, but the Montreal Alouettes don’t think he needs to be in order to win the 112th Grey Cup.

For the second day in a row, the focus was on the long-standing injury to the Alouettes’ star quarterback’s left hamstring, which Davis re-aggravated in the fourth quarter of last week’s Eastern final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

On Monday, both Alexander and head coach Jason Maas poured cold water on any burning concerns that the pivot won’t be able to go in Sunday’s Grey Cup against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Princess Auto Stadium, but conceded that a long week of rehab — four to five times per day — awaits before that comes to fruition.

On Tuesday, Maas maintained his stance, adding that he believes Montreal’s offence can continue to be as effective as it’s been when Alexander is under-centre.

“I would like to think that’s the case,” said Maas.

The 27-year-old Alexander has not only proven to have one of the strongest and most accurate arms in the league, but also to be one of the best improvisers, with an innate ability to create off-script with his legs.

Alexander ran seven times for 64 yards in the Eastern final, but the real magic occurred when he broke the pocket and showcased his talent for throwing on the run.

“I mean, he provides us with an absolute weapon with his legs and his escapability and what he does with his feet… we don’t create a lot of things for him to get out all the time and, when he does decide to go, he goes, and then whatever happens from there is solely based on his decision-making and his abilities,” said Maas.

“But the rest of the offence that he operates is what our offence is, and all of our quarterbacks have had a degree of success. We’ve had this offence in for quite a long time in this league, with a variety of different quarterbacks, some having the same attributes that Davis does possess, and others that have not even close. But ultimately, what Davis does possess, it is special, in my opinion.”

Alexander’s importance to Montreal can not be understated. The club went 7-0 with him as the starter, averaging 34 points per outing, and 3-8 without him, averaging 19.7 points per game during the regular season.

Alexander will put an unblemished 13-0 record as a starter — the best start to a career ever by a CFL quarterback — to the test on Sunday.

Whether he’s at full health or not, to doubt the Gig Harbour, Wash., product would be foolish, according to his teammates.

“I will say this, man — and you guys will hear everyone on our team talk about Davis — Davis is an exemplary leader,” said defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund. “This guy, when I met him last year in our (locker room), the competitiveness that you’re going to get playing a game of cornhole, it’s almost as much as you’re going to get on the football field. That’s how serious this stuff is. It’s funny, like a ping pong game, it’s that serious.”

Despite the leak in his tire, Alexander did not miss any time last week, eventually orchestrating a seven-play drive that ended in a walk-off 45-yard field goal from José Maltos Díaz.

“We talk about Davis maybe not being at 100 per cent, I’m telling you, mentally, Davis, whatever he is at percentage-wise, man, he’s gonna go out there and he’s gonna perform at 1,000 per cent — it doesn’t matter,” Adeyemi-Berglund added.

“We’re gonna sit here and we’re gonna be talking about this after this game, maybe he’s fighting through whatever he’s fighting through… you guys will not notice the difference, man. You won’t. And it’s the mental toughness. I think that’s the (sign) of a truly mentally tough person, you don’t know they (are having) a bad day. You don’t know anything’s wrong.”

That will leave some extra work for Maas, who said he will ensure a game plan is in place for backup McLeod Bethel-Thompson and third-stringer Shea Patterson in the event Alexander’s mobility is significantly hindered.

Although he is preparing to lead his team to a second Grey Cup in three years, Maas took a moment to reflect on whether he would’ve handled Alexander’s injury differently during the regular season. The pivot played the first three games of the season, then sat for four weeks before returning to action. The hamstring flared up in Alexander’s first game back, which sent him back to the shelf for another nine weeks before returning for the current six-game winning streak.

“I’m expecting the best version of Davis, and that’s the only way we can approach it from that standpoint.”

“You learn as you go throughout the season,” Maas said. “We felt like we did what was best for the organization.

“But the big thing is just going to be learning from this, and we’ll do that in the off-season. We’ll look at everything to try to get better everywhere. And that’s Davis included, because we all have a hand in that. But ultimately, when you have a conviction and you go with it, you’ve got to live with it, but you can learn, and we absolutely will.”

Indeed, that’s all in hindsight. Maas is choosing to look forward, just like Roughriders head coach Corey Mace, who has chosen not to underestimate the quarterback his team will face.

“I’m expecting the best version of Davis, and that’s the only way we can approach it from that standpoint,” Mace said. “Like (Maas) said, quarterbacks, got to be prepared for all three. Defensively, you got to be prepared for anything as well.”

30 cal bike makes trip to the ’Peg

James Letcher Jr. and Alexandre Gagné could only shake their head and smile as they explained their least favourite part about being Montreal Alouettes. On Tuesday, the tale of “30 cal” — the punishing exercise that’s becoming the rallying activity of the Alouettes — was uncovered.

While there wasn’t enough time to tell every detail, the story goes like this: In 2023, members of the Alouettes’ defence were searching for another way to challenge each other, so they put two assault bikes next to each other and began to race to see who could burn 30 calories the fastest.

The bike not only requires the user to pedal, it also demands that they push and pull on a handle with each arm to gain momentum.

It’s a quick ride, and to hear it, it sounds like a relatively easy task. Those who have done it have a different view, however.

“Thirty cal is something special, and it’s not something fun for us, it’s just behind the passion of (head coach) Jason Maas, about working hard and doing things that you don’t necessarily want to do, but you have to do it,” said Gangé.

The challenge was such a resounding success in breeding a competitive environment that Maas opened it up to the rest of the team and made it a mandatory exercise for all players and coaches every week. Two years later, it’s still kicking and serves as a point of pride for members of the team, who maintain they are doing something no one else in the league is doing.

“We just do it, and everyone does it, and we’re all in the same boat. And that represents what we’re all about.”

“You don’t want to do it. You don’t feel like doing it. I’m not a guy that is anxious, I’m not a guy that is stressed in life, in any way, but the morning that I know that I’m going to and I’m pushing that 30 cal as far as I can… I can feel a little bit of anxiety, just because I know that it’s hard, I’m going to be paying afterwards, and I’m going to have to put my legs up,” said Gagne.

“But we just do it, and everyone does it, and we’re all in the same boat. And that represents what we’re all about.”

It’s tough to argue with the results. Since introducing 30 cal, the Alouettes have won one Grey Cup and are looking for a second.

For the bigger, stronger players, it might only take 20 to 30 seconds — the record is 19 seconds — and for the lighter players, it could take upward of 50 seconds.

Though quick, one thing is certain: it demands everything someone’s got for a few seconds.

“It’s a window to your soul, as we like to say it,” Maas said. “It’s not for you, it’s for the guy next to you, so ’giver. We take pride in it, obviously, and we have our 30 cal here with us and we’re going to do it. That’s just something we enjoy.”

Indeed, the bike has made the trip to Winnipeg with the team. Every player will have one last turn with it at some point this week.

Needless to say, no one is really looking forward to it.

“It was in the middle of the weight room, and some people avoided it. I don’t know too many people on the team who actually like the bike,” said Letcher. “We saw it getting packed up, and we were shaking our heads, but we knew what it was. Jason Maas is big on that — putting in work — and we’re gonna put that work in regardless, whether it’s on the field or it’s doing the 30 cal.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

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Joshua Frey-Sam
Reporter

Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.

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