At 31, Sean Thomas Erlington is well aware that he won't be playing football for another decade.
With this idea in mind, the running back decided to accept the contract offer from the Montreal Alouettes.
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“This will be my eighth season. I don't have much time to play football anymore. “I said to myself that I wanted to spend the last years of my career with people who had already played with me for the Carabins,” explained Erlington a few days after joining the Sparrows camp.
“There are so many former Carabins and Quebecers who have joined the Alouettes in recent years. Add to that the incredible success in the playoffs last year. These are elements that made me want to join this team.”
Erlington wore the University of Montreal club colors between 2013 and 2016. With the Als he will reunite with his former Blues teammates Frédéric Chagnon, Régis Cibasu, Marc-Antoine Dequoy and Louis-Philippe Bourassa. The Alouettes' special teams coordinator Byron Archambault also shared the field with the Carabins, while general manager Danny Maciocia was his head coach in the varsity ranks.
An attentive viewer
Erlington was drafted in the eighth round of the 2017 draft by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and has never worn another jersey in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
The Montreal native had an offer on the table to continue his career with the Ontario club. The Calgary Stampeders also wanted to win him over. By his own admission, Erlington never imagined playing for the Alouettes before watching them defy the odds to win the Gray Cup last November.
“Honestly, I didn’t think about it,” he said. My family and friends talked to me about playing in Montreal, but that wasn't in my plans or goals.
That changed last fall.
“During the playoffs, I saw guys doing their best,” Erlington said. It was a team that never gave up and was united. You could even see it when you saw them on TV. It’s something that really appealed to me.”
A takeaway place
The Canadian running back joins the “Als” and at the same time the number 1 position in the backfield becomes vacant. In fact, William Stanback was fired and now works for the British Columbia Lions.
In the next training camp, seven running backs will try to reach the pole position. This will particularly be the case for former Walter Fletcher and Jeshrun Antwi.
Erlington received no commitments regarding his use from Maciocia or anyone in the organization. He will have to fight like everyone else to get the ball.
“I had a great discussion with [l’instructeur-chef] Jason Maas. However, there is never a guarantee when you arrive at training camp, said the Quebecer. However, I think he believes in my abilities and it's up to me to show what I can do.
In 73 games of experience in the CFL, 23 more than any other Alouettes running back, Erlington amassed 1,258 yards and seven touchdowns on carries. He also caught 71 passes for 719 yards and four majors.