Montreal defender Alessandro Lorenzetti was one of the few Quebecers to experience the exhilaration of a national championship in American university football when the Michigan Wolverines were crowned in Houston on Monday night.
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Lorenzetti is the first Quebec player to experience such a moment since the current format of playoff games was introduced in 2014.
Otherwise, in living memory there was only one other Quebecer before him to win a national university championship in the NCAA, Miguel Robédé with the University of Miami Hurricanes in 2001.
The Wolverines won 34-13 against the University of Washington Huskies, giving Michigan its first national title since 1997.
A week earlier, Michigan narrowly won the Rose Bowl 27:20 and continued its path to the finals.
“There wasn't as much nervousness because for a lot of people the Rose Bowl (the semifinal against Alabama) was an even bigger game. It feels so good to be part of this team that finally climbed the mountain. It had been so many years since the program had won a championship. “It just happened and it’s surreal,” the 6-foot-3, 300-pound man told the Journal.
Against the rest of the world
The University of Michigan program has been accused of developing a sophisticated system to steal enemy signals in recent years. Things broke midway through the season and head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for the final three games of the regular season.
According to Lorenzetti, who witnessed the events from inside, the allegations only brought the troops together.
“We were number one in the country, but we played like we always had something to prove. It's a bit like we're being neglected. We were starving.
We have been through so much adversity. We never let all this crap affect us. It came in through one door and immediately came out the other,” said the senior at Selwyn House School in Westmount.
United for life
Lorenzetti celebrated as he should until the early hours of the morning from Monday to Tuesday. After all, since 1998, only seven Canadians have had the honor of winning the national championship.
“I went to bed at 5am and couldn't stop thinking about it all. There are a lot of emotions. It will truly unite us for life. We as a whole won together. One of the reasons we have come this far is because we have become one. “We will still be a very united team in a few years,” he said.
Next year again
The Montrealer plans to make a name for himself on the field next season after working hard in practice over the past two seasons with the Wolverines. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
There is currently uncertainty about what the team will look like next year. Several star players will be heading to the NFL and Jim Harbaugh is also rumored to be heading to the Goodell scene.
For his part, Alessandro Lorenzetti will be back and his goal is to find a place on the field in his third season.
“I’m from Michigan and I want to stay that way. We don't know who will stay or go, but for me it is my family that is here.
“The goal for me is to get playing time. I have a lot of repetitions in training and the goal is to translate them into a game situation. “I know what kind of player I am. I’m a champion too.”