Matthew Proulx pays tribute to an unforgettable teammate of the Alouettes: Dave Stala

Montreal – “After that match, I remember crying in my mother’s arms! A few years later, I could laugh about it, but this guy made me cry while we were eating at Cosmos on Grande Allée.”

Matthew Prolix smiles pleasantly and sincerely at this tale. This was explained because, against all odds, his executioner, Dave Stala, became one of his best friends when they ended up with the Montreal Alouette.

But, at the time, Proulx was in his freshman year as a rookie with Laval Rouge et Or and never expected to be pushed by such a formidable receiver who also played as a captain.

“I was in control of two games, I was playing really well. And there, Saint Mary arrived in Quebec, I was the defender in front of him and he ate me! When I say all-round, they won and he got almost all his team points. He did everything on the field and everything at my expense. ‘, hold a Rolex (see the drop from 88 of the 13th in the video).

Rouge et Or helped us keep track of match stats. In the 26-24 win, Stala scored 20 points (6 through touchdowns against Proulx, 12 through 4 field goals and 2 through transfers) while capturing 4 passes for 84 yards.

“I was on top of the world, I practically thought I was going to be a superstar. And here he is, passing by and smashing me!” said Prolix as this potion of humility was the first effect of Stala on his life.

Three years later, the Alouettes drafted Proulx into fifth overall and he was quick to join the club while receiving Stala was on the verge of excelling.

Despite what happened on PEPS party grounds, the two men became very good friends. If it seems surprising at first glance, when listening to Proulx talk about the Stala, we understand how lovable he was.

“Dave was a crazy teammate! He didn’t take anything too seriously. For him, life is short trip, it is fun. He is always having fun, smiling and making everyone laugh. “He’s the guy who makes jokes all the time,” described Prolix, adding an important clarification.

“At the end of the day, for the coaches, it can be annoying because he’s a clown, but he’s also the guy who knows all the layouts for all the matches and all the positions. You need someone to play anywhere as a receiver, he’ll do that. You can put him in the center back, and he’ll know what He does. He was also kicking back up. In short, he knows football like the back of his hand, so you can’t blame him for anything because he was never wrong,” said the man with a great career (player, lawyer, analyst, prescriber, animator) who focused on diversity .

We got shaky, she lived many tales with the person nicknamed “ sticky Stala because everything was sticking to his hands.

“During the off season, we dropped five guys (Stala, Prolux, Philippe Gauthier, Michael Potterrell and Sean Diner) to train in Atlanta and went to Florida for the weekend. We were in so good shape, we were so physically distinguished that Dave made up a story and everyone got into his jokes. We were team of across the ball, the name sounds like a real sport without being so. We invented a lot of details, such as that the field was 45 yards wide by 350 yards long and that a game could last anywhere from five minutes to a few days depending on the points scored. I was a bird, the only position that has the right to touch the ball. We had a series of 15 or 20 things that we invented. When we went to the pub, people told us so. If no one believed us, we told him to go and ask someone else in the gang. It was so funny, we said our games were broadcast in ESPN Ocho. At one point, the janitor convinced us and said, “Yeah, yeah, I’ve seen this sport before,” Proulx recalls amusedly in his mid-twenties.

“Once, in the locker room, he reproduced a basketball court with duct tape and installed baskets. We were playing together and he brought me bowling too again,” continued Alouettes’ previous number 20.

“Our teammate and friend Sean Diner had obsessive-compulsive disorder and the number he always had to follow was 4. Before the game he would take a picture and give it 4 beaks or 14 beaks. When we did the exercise, he always did 4, 14, or 24 repetitions. Dave always messed up his wardrobe before rehearsing. When we left meetings, we were in a hurry to go to the field, but he couldn’t leave if his wardrobe was upside down. It freaked him out and had to put everything back in order,” noted Proulx.

“There were also his disguises. On Halloween, he always had the wildest. It must have taken a day of make-up. He arrived disguised as an old man, but he was very successful with his back arched, a wand, part of his head shaved and his hair white.”

Proulx understands the value of such a team member.

“In an athletic context, to have a guy who is able to make others laugh constantly and then relax in the air is the best I can get. Every day he gets up and wonders how he can make others laugh today and have fun,” praised Prolix, who didn’t want to lose this friendship. precious.

Besides entertaining those around him, Stala has inspired many people including Proulx.

“Yeah, really. When you meet him, you think he’s the greatest clown you’ve ever known. But, when we trained, he was very invested and was the first to push the others. Since he was a recipient, we often trained together against each other,” agrees Proulx, who thinks That he was able to find a good balance between his sporting career and fun.

“I always told myself that if I had been involved less I could have extended my career for a season or two. I don’t want people to think I was dating every day, but I benefited from it. In the end, I don’t mind thinking about all the fun I had He’s been a perfect partner because we had fun, but we trained to be in shape,” Proulx admitted to the prankster who excelled at whatever sport he played.

Born in Poland, Stala learned to bite through life and give back to others. Proulx had also accompanied him to Halifax for a year where he set up a youth football camp.

“He’s had a really positive impact. When I think about inspiring people, this is the guy that comes to mind and he’s an amazing character. He’s been a very good role model among professionals,” Proulx concluded, inviting people to see or review. From her fun and wonderful celebrations.