With the utmost discretion, another Quebec player caught the attention of NFL recruiters this season. Guard Sidy Sow, who made his debut with the Cégep Champlain-Lennoxville Cougars as a defensive lineman, could also get a major league call-up.
Discretion is a word that fits perfectly with the Bromontois, who just graduated from college in Eastern Michigan. Not because his performance on the pitch left him in the shadows, quite the opposite.
For the second year in a row, the quality of his game even earned him a first-team selection from the NCAA Mid-American Conference (MAC) last fall.
Rather, his discretion is based on the fact that he is considered to be a very reserved person. Le Journal has tried unsuccessfully to get an interview with him several times this season.
Being with the NFL Combine gives him the opportunity to look back on his journey with his last head coach in Quebec, Jean-François Joncas of the Cougars.
“He’s actually a very reserved guy,” he laughed. But not on a soccer field! ‘ he added hastily.
“He’s very into his business and NFL teams want kids who will never have a problem off the field. »
Healthy variety
At Lennoxville in 2015, Sow made his mark by excelling on the defensive line. American scouts who came to watch him took an immediate liking to him but suggested he become an offensive lineman.
“In practice, defensive linemen often simulate the offensive lineman position to practice with each other.
“The defensive coaches came to me to tell me that he would be our best offense! He blocked very easily and we still had excellent players. That shows how much he was already a super athlete,” said Joncas amused.
A high potential
Although he was playing in a very different position at the time, Sow was already showing outstanding athletic ability that pointed to a promising future.
Joncas knows that, having seen two of his protégés, tight end Antony Auclair and offensive lineman Philip Blake, land in the NFL.
“I was able to make comparisons and I could see that he was even more athletic than Phil. For all the work he did after that in eastern Michigan to make progress, he deserves credit. It takes a lot of determination to learn a new position at this level in the NCAA.”
“It’s a great sense of pride for our program and reflects Quebec football as a whole. »
In general, Sidy Sow is viewed as a potential player who has the potential to be selected in rounds 5 through 7 on the last day of the draft or hired as a free agent.