montrealgazette.com
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Had quarterback Davis Alexander been healthy in last season’s Grey Cup, the Alouettes might have won their second CFL championship in three seasons.
With the start of training camp slightly more than three months away, Alexander realizes avoiding injuries is contingent on the team’s success.
“The most important part is making sure I’m available for as many of the 18 (regular-season games) as possible — and the playoffs,” Alexander told The Gazette while in Montreal to have his left hamstring examined by the team’s athletic therapists.
“We all go to bed thinking about that final game and how close we were,” he added. “That’s motivating in itself.”
In his first season as the Als’ starter, Alexander probably trained too hard last winter. His left hamstring started bothering him during training camp, forcing him to miss practices. It also limited him to seven regular-season games.
He pulled it the first time during a game at Edmonton on June 19. He returned a month later against Toronto and suffered a relapse while scoring the winning touchdown and missed another eight games. Alexander tweaked the hamstring again in the second half of the East Division final against Hamilton, and he clearly wasn’t fully healthy in the
Als’ 25-17 Grey Cup defeat against Saskatchewan
.
Alexander completed 22 of 34 passes for 284 yards and was intercepted three times. He also, uncharacteristically, rushed only twice, with the first not coming until late in the first half.
Montreal was driving for the potential tying touchdown when short-yardage QB Shea Patterson fumbled near the goal line with 2:39 remaining. And although the Als had one final possession, Alexander grabbed the back of his left leg after a four-yard run. The Als scored 10 consecutive second-half points before Patterson’s fumble and appeared to have Saskatchewan reeling.
“You can’t assume anything, but I’m sure I would have been a little more effective earlier on,” Alexander said. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t healthy. Our organization will never use that as an excuse, and I’ll never. My job is to make sure I’m able to play all 18 and be ready for the playoffs at full go.
“It was safe to say (the hamstring) was bothering me — but everyone knew that. We just couldn’t get into a rhythm early enough and it was too little, too late. We’ll learn from that. I didn’t feel like myself in the first half as a leader and from an energy standpoint. It’s all part of the learning process. I do think we got into a rhythm the last quarter and a half … and you saw the firepower of our offence. The defence was playing lights out, too. Obviously, it’s not a quarter-and-a-half game. I turned the ball over three times. It’s hard to win games like that.”
Alexander said the learning process has already started.
He added 15 to 20 pounds of muscle last winter. At one point during the season, he weighed 220 pounds and said that was too heavy. He’d like to play this year in the range of 210-214. Alexander was told that his diligent off-season training contributed to the hamstring being pulled instead of torn completely off the bone. It was the first hamstring injury of his career.
“I probably worked a bit too hard,” he said. “But there’s not much I’m going to end up changing. Forever and always, I’ll still be the same person. You definitely come in with a bit more confidence, and it seems everyone does believe in you. I’ll show a little bit more leadership. I feel like I’ve earned that role.”
While in Montreal, Alexander underwent data testing on his leg to ensure everything is symmetrical. He worked out for the therapists on Thursday and was scheduled to have an ultrasound on Monday before returning to his winter training base in Scottsdale, Ariz. Alexander will return at the beginning of March and will be in Montreal full-time no later than mid-April.
“Everything feels normal, as far as what we’re seeing,” Alexander said.
General manager Danny Maciocia also said the injury’s trending as scheduled. “We’re looking forward to having a healthy Davis at camp.”
Notes
— The Als signed return-specialist DeVonte Dedmon on Friday after his release by Ottawa. … With the CFL’s free-agent negotiating window open, the Als on Sunday agreed to terms with Winnipeg receiver Jerreth Sterns and Ottawa QB Dustin Crum.
Also, safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy, 31, has announced his retirement
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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