Redmen commit wants people to know his name

McGill adds a local commit to their Class of 2018.

When offensive lineman Alex Montpetit from Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy was in high school, he probably never dreamed that one day he would be committing to the McGill Redmen.

High school can be a difficult time, and for the longest time, it didn’t treat Montpetit with much kindness. “I was having some really bad life habits. I was overweight, and I didn’t have a lot of friends. I didn’t have good grades in school and no expectations for post-secondary studies, but that rapidly changed when I realized that I had possible potential for sport,” he said.

Montpetit played a total of two high school seasons with Les Grenadiers de l’école secondaire Louis-Philippe-Paré (RSEQ) in Châteauguay, Québec. “It was my best friend back then who was the team’s quarterback who convinced me to protect him,” he said.

With his life heading in a new direction, Montpetit continued his career with Le Notre-Dame du Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy (RSEQ Division 1) in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Québec. He spent three years playing cégep ball. “I didn’t play until before my second season because I still had a lot to learn,” he said. “I had the chance to be supported by excellent leaders. There are some who are currently playing at McGill.”

Montpetit is from Châteauguay, which is an off-island suburb south-west of Montréal, Québec. After being away near Québec City, Québec, for so long, he is looking forward to heading back to familiar waters.

“The most important reason for my commitment to McGill was (being able) to come back home near my family. I was fully committed in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, (but) I’d be the only football player to stay in residence and train all summer,” he said.

“Unfortunately, I could almost never seem my family. I found that part tough. Then, I thought it would be great to play with some of my old, great teammates from CNDF, plus, all my future teammates who are very welcoming,” he added. In 2016, he won a Bol d’Or with Le Notre-Dame. While he wasn’t a starter, he said he contributed a lot in a few games.

It didn’t take long for the hulking 6’8, 270lbs right guard to see the seriousness of the McGill coaching staff. “After the first team meeting, I felt the important discipline of the coaching staff and how much this team wants to win,” he said. “The coaches that I met have a lot of faith in me. They have the conviction that I will be a great Redmen player. It is really motivating.”

While Montpetit is interested in getting into social work, he currently has to take a year of continuing studies. “But, it is a grind I’m ready to do. I’m just glad I could get accepted to this university,” he said.

“I know that people won’t hear my name for a long time. It is because I still have a lot of work to do, as much on the physical (side) as on the technical,” he added. “But, I’m ready to put in all the work and become a useful player for the team.”