VANCOUVER — Quebec native Mathieu Betts is perfect luck in British Columbia and it would be very bad to know him and believe that he has daily dreams of making the leap to the NFL.
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“I’m in good physical and mental shape,” the Montreal native agreed Saturday after the Lions’ morning practice session in Surrey. You can’t be successful if you try to look too far ahead. I focus on my work with the Lions week after week.
Betts’ accomplishments on the Lions’ defensive line may indicate he’s closer to the NFL than ever. Before he faced the Alouettes in Vancouver on Sunday, he already had seven sacks in four games.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I don’t wake up in the morning thinking I’m hoping for another opportunity,” Betts said. I want to do well for myself but also for my teammates and help the team to win. Personally, I’ve had a good start to the season and it’s always good to have good individual stats, but that’s not the most important thing.
Bowman and Baron’s contribution
After unexpected tryouts with the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars last December, Betts is 100% committed to his Canadian Football League club.
The 28-year-old Quebecois also partly explains his current success with the Lions with the presence of two former Alouettes color bearers at his side, his coach John Bowman and his staunch teammate Woody Baron.
“We have a lot of fun and it’s always better to be in a good working environment,” he said, speaking of Bowman’s presence as defensive coach with the Lions. On a tactical and technical level, John is a good coach, and on a personal level he has an excellent relationship with his players.
“We had very few changes to our defensive line compared to last season,” Betts also noted. Woody Baron is one that helps me a lot by putting vertical pressure on the quarterback. He’s certainly one of the best in the Canadian league when it comes to applying pressure.
The pleasure of facing the Alouettes
The 29-year-old Baron may not have had as remarkable a stint as Bowman at the Alouettes, but he nonetheless served the Montreal club well from 2018-2021. After playing 14 seasons in Montreal, Bowman was also a member of the Gray Cup championship in 2009 and 2010. It was at a time when Betts, then a teenager, was proudly encouraging the Alouettes.
In this week’s game against Montreal, Betts admits he still loves playing against his youth club.
“Honestly, I always enjoy competing against the Alouettes, even though I may not be as excited as I was in my early years.” [dans la LCF]”, the former star of Rouge et Or confided to the University of Laval.
Betts is in his fourth season in the CFL and is considering canceling the 2020 campaign due to the pandemic. After a less spectacular start with the Edmonton Elks, he agreed to join the Lions as a free agent in February 2022.