It is not because Jacques Dussault is no longer active in football that he is no longer popular. After announcing last March that the Canadian Football Hall of Fame would open its doors to him, the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame will also explore the possibility of adding the former coach and analyst to its ranks of immortals.
• Also read: LCF: Jacques Dussault, Larry Smith and three former Alouettes are inducted into the Hall of Fame
The Pantheon will announce its next elected officials in November, but a substantial file has already been submitted to support his candidacy.
Recognized signatories from the football community including Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Larry Smith, Danny Maciocia and Pierre Vercheval, among others, have supported the man who has dedicated his life to the development of football.
Dussault has been a key figure in Quebec football for more than 55 years, particularly as a coach, both professionally and at the university, college and school levels. He also helped make the sport French on television and in the printed press.
“Honestly, I find it somewhere between flattering and embarrassing. That’s not the stuff I’m looking for. When they called me to explain the process, I was almost uncomfortable knowing that someone had done all this for me,” Dussault said in an interview.
Unthinkable
That person who took the steps was Dany Veilleux from Dolbeau-Mistassini who was behind the Dan Radio Sports podcast for several years.
“When I realized Jacques wasn’t in the Pantheon, I found it incredible. He’s accomplished so much for Quebec football. I wanted to put together a concrete candidacy for him. The whole football community has come together and I think that’s fantastic. It shows what a pioneer he was,” said the man who kept the file.
At this time, 11 representatives of the Quebec football community have their places in the Hall of Fame, including Ben Cahoon, Anthony Calvillo, Jean-Philippe Darche and Pierre Vercheval.
A great honor
Even if Jacques Dussault’s legendary humility prevents him from enjoying it to the full, he is nevertheless aware of the extent of this show of respect for him.
“It’s never easy to get recognized at home, no matter what field you work in,” he said.
Throughout his long adventure in soccer from his early days as a Quebec player, Dussault hauled his pack in Canadian varsity soccer, the NCAA, with the Montreal Machine in the defunct World League, with the Alouettes and on the school scene.
“I don’t think I’ve accomplished so many amazing things, but what I can say is that every day I got up to go to work I felt happy.
“When I’ve been with pros coming back from the NFL, I can tell you something, Jacques Dussault, it didn’t mean much to them, and I’ve been busy! When you have a passion, you forget a lot of unpleasant things.
A voice for francophones
While it’s difficult to be proud of his long career, Dussault admits he’s particularly pleased with his commitment to developing the sport among Francophones.
“When I fell in love with Quebec in the 1950s, when I was in Quebec, it wasn’t, shall we say, the most developed theme. At that time, football was considered a very complex sport that was not made for French speakers.
“It’s like we hinted in parentheses that we’re not smart enough for this game. It really offended me! Things have changed a lot and fortunately French-speaking institutions like Rouge et Or have put things right,” he said.
At 72 years old, Jacques Dussault does not run to honor, but honor follows him.
“When people support you in that way, you can’t help but see a lot of flashbacks of events you’ve been through. It doesn’t seem like much, but it wasn’t always easy,” he recalls.