βOh no. No team costume party. Just went on about my day.β
Your final collegiate game saw you and Kansas State beat LSU in the Texas Bowl 42-20 playing in your home state. I saw a pregame clip of you fired up before the game talking to the other team. How do you mentally prepare for a big game such as this mentally?
βI just pretty much do the same thing. Go about my routine. Focus on the game plan. And I need to make sure Iβm mentally and physically ready for the game at hand and handle business when I go out there.β
Has the preparation changed at all since then?
βNo nothing at at all. No just follow the game plan, going through the details, and trying to figure out things that we think might have a weakness. But the game plan remains the same. And just focus on the goal at hand.β
And I would consider that Montreal had a very successful season, in my opinion, earned the home-field advantage in the east semifinal. Do you feel in a way that thereβs possibly a slight advantage for the visitor given there could be less pressure on them?
βYeah. I guess so. Itβs always good to have him put advantage though to be able to play in front of the fans and give them a playoff game and something to cheer about in the city as well. But we just take the game with the train type of mentalityβ
I believe one of the the most dangerous things in sports and and life in general is complacency. Montreal comes into the playoffs with a 5 game-win streak, undefeated against every team thatβs not BC, Winnipeg, or Toronto. How are you and the rest of the team making sure to stay focused on Hamilton and not get complacent or look too far ahead past Hamilton?
βWeβre not a complacent team. We have a mindset of working hard. No matter what weather weβre in or what game it is. Something coach Maas appreciates. So weβre never worried about being complacent. Thatβs not who we are. Thatβs not the type of dudes that we have in the organization.β
What do you think would is the strongest quality for the Montreal Alouettes if you were Hamiltonβs head coach that you would wanna focus on to shut down in this game?
βI donβt know. We play a really good team ball. So there are a lot of threats and a lot of things to worry about. Itβd be tough if I was Hamiltonβs coach, honestly. Balanced team. But, I mean, all the teams in the playoffs are all good teams that they deserve to be here. And you gotta give Hamilton a lot of credit too if the roles were reversed.β
Hamilton is playing Both Levi Mitchell and Matthew Schultz, It seems a little bit unclear whoβs gonna be getting more playing time. Is that impacting the game day preparations season given the uncertainty of whoβs gonna be under center?
βNo, because you have to prepare for every quarterback on the roster. They all played this year, so it doesnβt matter who plays. Itβs not just 1 person who runs their team. Quarterbacks they command the offense, but they have a lot of say everywhere. So we go back to business handling all the quarterbacks that they have on the roster studying for them, preparing for them. Just going out there, trying to focus on stopping them and then winning the game.β
November weather can get a little dicey, and then in Hamilton where the Grey Cupβs gonna be, Tim Hortons field, that can be an absolute wind tunnel. What do you think of the statement?
The Grey Cup will be won by the team that does the best combination of running the football and stopping the run.
βThatβs a good mindset. I feel like I feel like I have to think about the quarterbacks in this league. A lot of them are veterans. Iβm pretty sure they know how to play in this weather and throw the ball around well too. So we should gotta be out there and be ready to play football all around.β
What are your thoughts on Hamiltonβs running back James Butler? Does that change the way at all that Montreal prepares for the game?
βI know heβs a good back, but gotta give credit to him having a thousand yards on the season. So heβs good as a running back. So we gotta understand who he is, what makes him him. Make sure weβre bringing our A game.β
What do you think of Hamiltonβs defensive side of the bar? Are there any players to you that stand out as really good?
βOh, I donβt look too much at their defense side of the ball. Aside from the guys who are playing on the special teams unit. But, theyβre a playoff team, so I know they got some new guys on that side of the ball.β
Do you have any, playoff superstitions or any different ways you prepare for this type of game?
Β βNo. Not at all. Same thing.β
What kind of music are you gonna be listening to before this game?
βFor me, Iβm a hip-hop and rap guy on game day. So when I hit shuffle on my playlist, whatever comes out is gonna be good.β
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