KINGSTON – At her final game in the varsity ranks, Kaylyn St-Cyr gave her father a wink by showing up at Richardson Stadium wearing the number 21 Montreal Alouettes jersey.
St-Cyr, the son of former Alouettes star cornerback Irvin Smith, wanted to make a special gesture for this ultimate meeting. “I knew my dad was in the stands and I wanted to pay tribute to him,” said the cornerback, who was selected to the all-Canadian first team. It means a lot to me to play in front of him.”
Present at the Dunsmore Cup and absent at the Uteck Cup, the Maryland-based father assured his son after the win against Laval University’s Rouge et Or that he would be present if the Carabins reached the final.
Photo Martin Chevalier
St-Cyr ended his university career in the most beautiful way. “It’s an indescribable feeling to win the Vanier Cup in my last game,” he said. We have been working since January. I couldn’t be more grateful. I thank my coaches and my teammates. I take my hat off to UBC, who gave us a great game and played with heart. Hats off to their quarterback for organizing long drives. He’s really, really talented.”
St-Cyr now hopes to claim its place in the CFL. Earlier in the season, the cornerback told us he wanted to wear the same Alouettes jersey as his father. Smith was selected to the All-Star team three times and worked with general manager Danny Maciocia when he held an assistant position. We’ll have to see if Maciocia will select St-Cyr in next May’s draft.
If St-Cyr, Bruno Lagacé and possibly Carl Chabot are not back, Nicky Farinaccio has confirmed that he will play another season in the university ranks. “I still want to play in the CFL,” said the inside linebacker and Vanier Cup MVP, “but I want to finish my degree first.”