Maybe having a Jewish head coach such as Marc Trestman has helped the Montreal Alouettes – after all, it was coach Marv Levy who helped make the Als two-time Grey Cup champions in the 1970s.
Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman hoists the Grey Cup after his team beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Speaking last week, Trestman couldn’t have sounded more relaxed or content, savouring what could only be described as one of the most miraculous and sweetest Grey Cup comebacks of all time after the Als squeaked by the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-27 Nov. 29 in Calgary with zero seconds to spare on the clock.
“I feel great about it,” Trestman said in a telephone interview from his home in Raleigh, N.C. “I feel very happy for our players, coaches… everybody’s worked very hard.
“We played hard throughout the season, had a little bit of luck at the end, and it worked out for us.”
A little bit of luck?
The Als were 16 points down – 27-11 – with only 11 minutes to play. They hadn’t led during the whole game, despite being huge 9-1/2-point favourites before kickoff, after going 15 and 3 in the regular season and crushing the B.C. Lions 56-18 the week before to earn a trip to the big game.
Then, thanks to a touchdown drive and pass led by quarterback Anthony Calvillo, and another TD by running back Avon Cobourne, the Als were within two points – but kicker Davon Duval missed a 43-yard field goal attempt for the win.
Then, a miracle happened.
The Riders had a 13th man on the field for the kick – linebacker Sean Lucas – and with no time left on the clock, Duval got one more kick at the can, so to speak, and 10 fewer yards to cover in the second attempt after the Riders were assessed a penalty.
Sweet victory. The Als earned their first cup win since 2002.
Trestman agreed that the “too many men on the field” call was a “gift from heaven,” even though his team came within striking distance on their own.
“Like I said afterwards, we had Lady Luck on our side,” Trestman said. “Lady Luck, the hand of God, whatever you want to say – the universe was aligned the way it needed to be aligned to have another chance.”
Indeed, it seemed a deserving way for Trestman to mark his two years with the Als.
“I’ve said it from the beginning: I fell into a very good situation [with the Alouettes] – a very good owner, president, general manager, and a group of players that was basically in place.”
Did he go through the proverbial roller-coaster of emotions during the big game?
“No, you don’t really go through any,” Trestman replied. “You’re just busy working. There was a moment there that [the thought] flickered in my head: ‘What am I going to say to these guys if we don’t get this done?’
“But it only lasted a billionth of a second. Then you just go back to work and try to do your job.”
Trestman, who spent 17 years with the National Football League in various coaching capacities – but not as a head coach – said he loves the Canadian game, but doesn’t prefer it to the American brand. “It’s still football, and it’s still coaching and teaching players, and I don’t find it any different.”
He does, however, greatly admire the Canadian Football League and its high calibre of teams.
“There’s really no difference between the first team in the league and the last. It’s a close and very talented league. But if you don’t play well for 60 minutes, you’re gonna get beat. We’ve shown that can happen as well.”
Trestman’s plans are to rest and, in January, to begin to get focused for the upcoming season by communicating with players and meeting with staff at his home in Raleigh.
“Then I’ll come back up at the end of May and get started again.”
