A few days after winning the Vanier Cup, the Université de Montréal Carabins are still in seventh heaven.
Three members of the championship team also visited Jean-Charles Lajoie on Monday to talk about this famous conquest.
Team quarterback Jonathan Sénécal explained that the victory was thanks to literally every player on the team.
“Our team consists of 105 people. There are some who don’t necessarily play but work hard. You are with us every week, in practice and in meetings. It requires a level of commitment that not everyone can have. I would like to thank the entire team. It is thanks to them that we were able to get there. It’s not necessarily the starters that allow us to get there, but it’s the whole thing.”
Linebacker Nicky Farinaccio agreed with his teammate.
“We have incredible chemistry. Whether you’re a beginner or not, you know that if you get hurt, the man next to you will get the job done. When I came to Montreal I was looking for a family. That’s what I think is really important in a football team: the chemistry and the bonds we can build between us.”
- Listen to Jean-François Baril’s sports contribution QUB radio:
For his part, the team’s head coach, Marco Iadeluca, explained that the challenge facing his team was great and that the Carabins were able to overcome it with flying colors.
“It is an excellent football club. I’ve been talking all week about how they were probably the best club we’ve played this year. They had a great quarterback who could run and throw the ball. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but we had the game we expected.”
Iadeluca added that he was particularly pleased that this conquest could ease some of the burden on Sénécal’s shoulders.
“I can’t remember an athlete entering college sports with so much pressure. People expected us to win the Vanier Cup one, two, three times because he was with us. But football is a team sport and it takes more than one player to win. I sometimes found it excessive to put all the pressure on one person. I’m happy for him, I’m happy for the program and I think it takes some pressure off Jonathan.”
Watch the relevant interview in the video above.