Glenn Constantine has always had high expectations from his players, past and present. However, he never allowed himself to dream of seeing one of his foals reach the Super Bowl. Anthony Auclair became the first Rouge et Or football product to reach its peak with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and his former coach believes himself.

The tight end, which wore the colors of the Laval League program from 2013 to 2016, is in its fourth NFL season. He will be the sixth Quebec national to participate in the Super Bowl, on February 7, in Tampa. Last year it was Kansas City captain Laurent DuVernay-Tardiff who achieved this rare feat.

“We’ll be a little good at our diocese, but it shows our young players here that everything is possible, and even from our programs in Canada. It takes men like Anthony and Laurent to clear the way for others.” Konstantin said, the next day after the pirate team beat the Green Bay Packers, the more men there were. With our success, more opportunities will become available.

impossible dream

The Rouge et Or Grand Boss has always been proud of raising the bar for his men. In his eyes, what Auclair is about to experience is beyond comprehension.

“I always told myself that for Rouge et Or, I wanted to see the players take important steps. In the beginning, I dreamed of seeing one of my teammates win a singles honor at the Canadian level. Sending the first player (Carl Georges) to the East-West Shrine Bowl was like a move. Great for me.

“You want to see your buddies break into the professional ranks and when Anthony did that in the NFL it was really cool. Just to imagine her in a Super Bowl, she’s beyond all my dreams. He can’t even be on my list, he’s so big,” Konstantin cheers.

Good fellow

During the three knockout matches, Auclair was unfortunately not selected from among 47 players in uniform, even if he was part of the regular list of 53 players every day.

Critics who constantly feel the need for obfuscation may conclude that he is not contributing to his team’s success. However, it is quite the opposite and his contribution to coaching remains important. Its role in this context is particularly to reproduce the tendencies of the opponent who is developing in his position.

“Whether he’s in uniform or not, he’s learning the game plan like everyone else and he’s giving coaches a good look. I know what he’s up to and he’s allowing us to work better.

“Of course he is disappointed that he hasn’t played recently, but he understands his role and he’s a good teammate,” Konstantin said.

A tasting experience

It’s too early to tell if O’Clair will have a chance to set foot in a grand duel against the bosses. Under the circumstances, his former coach remains good advice.

“I told Anthony that regardless of his role, he should do it to the best of his ability and that he has no control over the rest. It is imperative that he make the most of the experience and be filled with memories of life.

There are superstar players in this league, even Hall of Fame, who haven’t had a chance to try the Super Bowl. “I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Constantine concluded.

Under his orders, Anthony Auclair twice lifted the Vanier Cup. Now the Vince Lombardi Cup is within reach of the person who has played 40 NFL matches so far.