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CFL Montreal Alouettes

Alouettes to Honor their Five Inductees on Saturday, September 2

August 28, 2023 - Canadian Football League (CFL)
Montreal Alouettes News Release


Montreal - The Montreal Alouettes will pay tribute to their alumni who will be welcomed into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in the coming days. This tribute will take place at halftime of the game on Saturday, September 2 at 7 p.m. ET as the Alouettes face the B.C. Lions.

The official induction ceremony of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame will take place in Hamilton on Friday, September 15.

The team will host the five former Alouettes that will be inducted this year, as John Bowman, Josh Bourke, Lloyd Fairbanks, Jacques Dussault and Larry Smith will be honoured at Percival-Molson Memorial Stadium.

"We look forward to welcoming our alumni who have played a big role in our organization," said Mark Weightman, President and CEO of the Montreal Alouettes. "This induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame is well deserved and I am sure our fans are looking forward to seeing our legends on the field at halftime Saturday."

John Bowman, Defensive end, Montreal Alouettes (2006-2019)

He played 230 games in 14 seasons in the CFL, all with the Alouettes. The Brooklyn, NY native is the Alouettes all-time sack leader with 134, which was good for sixth place in the CFL at the time of his retirement. He also amassed an impressive total of 481 defensive tackles, 37 tackles for losses, while forcing 32 fumbles and recovering 15, including one for a touchdown.

On top of hoisting the Grey Cup in 2009 and 2010, Bowman was elected to the East Division All Star team eight times, receiving the nod twice as a CFL All Star. He also scored a touchdown on a 41-yard interception return during the 2010 East Final.

Josh Bourke, Offensive line, Montreal Alouettes (2007-2015)

He played 141 games in nine seasons with the Alouettes, helping the team reach the Grey Cup three consecutive years between 2008 and 2010, and he was part of those teams that won it all in 2009 and 2010.

The Windsor, ON native played at the left tackle position, a spot which is normally reserved for American players. He had a brilliant career protecting quarterback Anthony Calvillo's blind side, helping the Alouettes offence dominate the CFL, scoring 600 points or more twice, while leading many offensive categories throughout the seasons. On three separate occasions, he was part of an offensive line that allowed the least number of sacks in the league (2008, 2012 and 2015). During his career, the team never finished lower than third in that category.

He was voted to the East Division All Star team seven times, receiving the nod as a CFL All Star twice. He received his most notable personal accolade in 2011, when he was voted the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman. He was selected as the Alouettes' Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman from 2010 to 2012 and the East Division's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 2011 and 2012.

Loyd Fairbanks, Concordes and Montreal Alouettes (1983-1986)

He joined the Montreal Concordes in 1983, after playing his first eight seasons with the Calgary Stampeders. The Raymond, AB native was voted an East Division All Star in his last three seasons in La Belle Province. He was also named the Alouettes Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman during those three seasons.

During his 17-season career he was selected as a Division All Star on seven occasions, while being named the West Division's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 1982. The former BYU Cougar was named to the CFL All Star team in 1979 and 1982.

Fairbanks also played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, prior to completing his career in a Stampeder uniform, and hanging up his cleats in 1991.

Larry Smith (Builder category), Montreal Alouettes President (1997-2001, 2004-2010)

After helping the Alouettes hoist the Grey Cup as a player in 1974 and 1977, the former Alouettes fullback accomplished great things off the field for the league and the organization.

The Montrealer was appointed the eighth CFL commissioner in 1992, and supervised the league's American expansion, which brought in new money to the league. Once the league returned to a 100% Canadian format, the Bishop's University graduate took on the role of Alouettes' President in 1997.

Under his tutelage, the team returned to Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, where it eventually played 104 consecutive games in front of a capacity crowd. He oversaw the stadium's two major renovation phases. Montreal was a first-class host to the 2001 and 2008 Grey Cups during his presidency. Smith also ensured the Alouettes had a strong presence in the community, all while strongly supporting amateur football in the province, which thrived during those years. The Alouettes won the Grey Cup in 2009 and 2010.

Jacques Dussault (Builder category), Assistant Coach with the Montreal Alouettes and Concordes (1982-1986, 1997-1999)

Dussault was a pioneer amongst football coaches in Quebec, as he was one of the first francophone coaches to expatriate himself South of the border, and come back to share his knowledge and passion for football. After joining the UQTR Patriotes coaching staff, he joined the University of Albany Great Danes staff. That experience led to his first stint with the Alouettes/Concordes from 1982 to 1986.

In 1989, he was appointed the Mount Allison University Mounties Head Coach, where he set up a talent pipeline for Quebec players, as francophones still had no university of their own to continue playing football. After two seasons in the Maritimes, Dussault became the first Quebec-born Head Coach in the professional ranks with the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football.

From 2002 to 2005, he was the Head Coach of the Université de Montréal Carabins, which had become the second francophone university with a football program, after the Université Laval Rouge et Or. There is possibly no level of football in Quebec in which Jacques didn't pass on any of his knowledge.

The latter was also a pioneer in the media, regardless of his role, "Le Coach" will have given everything to football without asking anything in return.

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