Charbonneau back in the fold
Published on January 25, 2007 under Canadian Football League (CFL)
Montreal Alouettes News Release
Montreal - They say you can't come home again.
Steve Charbonneau is back in Montreal to prove 'them' wrong.
Charbonneau, who has spent the last four seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos, has signed on to re-join his former team, the Alouettes, and he couldn't be happier to be coming home.
"Football has grown so much in Quebec since I've been gone and the Als are always a successful franchise. Being here, I know we'll have the full support from the community and we'll always be competitive. You can't go wrong being an Alouette."
A defensive end, Charbonneau started his CFL career with the Alouettes in 1997, becoming a pillar of a dominant defensive line. Selected by Montreal in the first round of the 1997 draft, he went on to record 116 tackles, 14 quarterback sacks, 31 special teams tackles, 12 tackles for losses and scored a touchdown over five seasons.
He joined the Eskimos in 2002 and won two Grey Cups there - both against the Alouettes.
"Well, we lost the first time we played Montreal in the Grey Cup in 2002 and that was rough. But we came back and beat them in 2003 and that was a kind of redemption for me," Charbonneau said.
"Beating them again in 2005? Well, now I have two rings and that feels great. Now the mission is to win with the Als instead of against them."
Als General Manager and Head Coach Jim Popp is excited to have Charbonneau back in the fold.
"He adds much-needed size and strength to our defensive line, as well as veteran leadership that can go a long way," Popp said.
"Having a local leader like Steve is always important to the Alouettes and is a big part of the great success we've had over the years."
In Charbonneau, Popp is adding yet another former draft pick to a team that already features more than a dozen players the GM and his staff have selected over the years.
"We've built the foundation of our franchise on the draft and it's great to have Steve back. When he and the Alouettes parted ways, we definitely did so on good terms and left the door open for the future," Popp said.
"Now he's back and we feel we have an even better Steve Charbonneau than we had in the past. He'll be a great addition."
Charbonneau's Quebec connections run deep.
Aside from being a born and bred Quebecer, he lives in Cowansville with his wife, former Canadian Olympic speed skater Isabelle Charest. He has several business ventures in the province as well, including an Ãnergie Cardio gym in Granby. He is also president of a workout equipment company called Stak Fitness.
Charbonneau has been impressed with the growth of football in Quebec over the last few years, in particular at the university level.
"When I was playing 15 years ago, there weren't a lot choices if you wanted to play football in French or even if you wanted to go play in the United States," he said.
"Now you have not only McGill and Concordia, but the French schools like Laval, Sherbrooke and Montreal all not only playing, but competing at a high level. On top of that, there are more and more scouts buzzing around that are seeing the high level of talent we have in this province. It's a good time to be involved with football in Quebec."
Canadian Football League Stories from January 25, 2007
- Charbonneau back in the fold - Montreal Alouettes
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