The Alouettes still have a long way to go, but by winning top honors in the Canadian Football League, linebacker Darnell Sankey could achieve an extraordinary feat in professional sports, winning two championships in one year.
Sankey was the Alouettes’ dominant defensive player in Saturday’s 27-12 Eastern Division semifinal win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and actually won the XFL championship with the Renegades last May. Arlington.
“We want to win a Gray Cup and we have to believe in it,” the linebacker said after the Alouettes’ win, in which he made one interception, two sacks and eight defensive tackles.
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Don’t tell Sankey that this is a mission impossible for the Alouettes.
“We believe we are the best team in this league,” said the 29-year-old American. We believe we are the best defensive unit in the league and we want to prove that in every game. If you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t win. If you’re a professional athlete and you don’t believe you can be the best, you’ve already lost.”
“The Argonauts have a fantastic team,” Sankey admitted ahead of next Saturday’s Eastern final in Toronto. They are led by a great quarterback and good coaches. Their ground game is also very good, but I believe in our team, I believe in our defense and I think of Cody [Fajardo] can get the job done on offense.”
Significant impact
The next challenge for Sankey and the Alouettes is no small one: defeating the Argonauts (16-2) in Toronto, where this team has not lost in nine regular season games. Otherwise, in the west, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (14-4) host the British Columbia Lions (12-6). The Alouettes’ seven regular-season losses came in as many games against these top three teams.
Photo Martin Chevalier
However, Sankey arrived in Montreal in September. A few days later, the Alouettes suffered a narrow 23-20 defeat against the Argos in Montreal. Since then, the Montreal club has won six straight.
“When you join a new team, you first have to feel the atmosphere in the club and integrate yourself with the guys around you,” noted Sankey. I quickly understood that this group is very resilient and persistent.”
A project to complete
Sankey, a former member of the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders, said he was convinced to move to the Alouettes because he already knew a few players there, including defensive lineman Shawn Lemon and quarterback Cody Fajardo. He also wanted to help head coach Jason Maas and defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe.
Photo Martin Chevalier
“I was asked whether it would be possible for me to take part in the project,” Sankey summarized. I felt like joining was the right thing to do when I heard them talking about this team. We believe in this team and this organization. It happened naturally and I just want to do my part while feeling like people believe in me.
“This player can hurt the opponent, he controls the middle of the field and that’s what we demand from our inside linebacker,” Thorpe rightly praised after Saturday’s game. He’s everywhere, he has so much skill and he’s so physical.”