Ed Philion
CFL.ca
Alouette fans should start getting used to the name Danny
Desriveaux, a former sixth round pick from the University of Richmond
in the 2006 CFL Canadian Entry Draft. Drafted 43rd overall that year,
Desriveaux is starting to blossom into one of Anthony Calvillo’s, “go
to guys.” With the early season injury to future Hall of Famer Ben
Cahoon, Desriveaux has used the opportunity to show head coach Marc
Trestman that he too can do some special things when he gets the
football. For the second year pro, last week’s game against Winnipeg
was his first 100 yard receiving game. Like Cahoon, Desriveaux has
shown the ability to catch the ball in traffic areas, take big hits and
do the little things that will separate him from average receiver.
Alouette fans know the importance of having a team with great
Canadian players. The Grey Cup teams of the 70’s and new millennium
(2000-2006) were loaded with such players. The past few years Montreal
has started to see some of those players start to show their age and
others retire. The organization hopes that Desriveaux is one of those
type players.
Not only can the kid catch the football…… he is a tireless worker in
the community. A local kid from Laval, Desriveaux is fluently bilingual
and devotes much of his offseason to one of the many community programs
run by the Alouettes organization. Just before the start of the season
I had a chance to talk to Ben Cahoon and get his impressions on #82.
Ben couldn’t say enough good things about him. Everything from his
preparation, work ethic and football intellect lead me to believe that
this kid is going to be the “real deal.” Typically I try and stay away
from anointing guys with titles at such an early stage in their careers
but from all that I’ve heard and more importantly seen Danny Desriveaux
may just be the type of player you will always remember.
Ed Philion played eight seasons along the defensive line for the
Montreal Alouettes. He was a three-time East Division All-Star and
helped the Alouettes win the Grey Cup in 2002. Currently, he is a member of the Alouettes’ broadcast team on CJAD Radio in Montreal.
