Benjamin Franklin – the American statesman rather than the Toronto Argonaut cornerback – was the author of a much-quoted passage, that “In this life nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
It may be bold to attempt to update such a perfect sentiment, but if Argonauts.ca were to try to modernize and localize the quote, the result may be “In Toronto nothing can be said to be certain, except constant traffic on the DVP north and Louis-Philippe Gauthier making another big play at training camp.”
With heartfelt apologies to Mr. Franklin, the updated line is accurate, and not just because of traffic flow, or lack thereof. The third-round draft pick out of Montreal – both city and university – has turned heads every day with at least one, and usually multiple, perfectly timed pass break-ups.
He’s been extremely good since the first day of full camp and has gotten better each day.
“At first, during the rookie camp, it was a little bit harder,” Gauthier explained to Argonauts.ca. “But when I saw the veterans come in and I started making plays my confidence started going up. I was seeing receivers from the United States, and the pace and everything (was new), but at some point, it’s just football.”
That said, pro football is a lot different from U SPORTS. The rookie is adjusting to the rigors of a pro camp; the workload, the number of meetings, the extra work players put in after practice, and the emphasis on recovery.
He’s also gone from being one of the oldest players in the locker room to being one of the youngest. He’s gone from teammates trying to schedule study time, to teammates with wives, kids, and mortgages.
“At first, when I heard people had kids it was a little bit of a shock for me,” he said with a smile. “Especially when I realize I’m the youngest now, it’s a big adjustment for me, but I feel I can learn a lot from them. It’s not the same world, people need to feed their kids and feed the people at home and that’s a new mentality.”
For it not being his primary language, the soft-spoken Gauthier’s English is very good. He only occasionally stopped for a half-second to find the correct word, which he invariably did.
Playing mostly field corner in camp, he will undoubtedly need to use special teams as his gateway to the roster, and he’s certainly equipped to do so. His speed – his 4.5-40 was the fastest of any player at this year’s combine – and athleticism will likely allow him to play on all four special teams units, something that will be noted by those trying to compose an opening game roster.
The Argos, however, see him as more than just a special teamer.
“His athletic skills are through the roof,” defensive backs coach Jovon Johnson told Argonauts.ca. “You can work with developing that foundation. I think he could be a CFL starter at some point in his career. He’s going to have a very high ceiling. I think he’s going to do extremely well in the league, and I definitely believe that at some point this year you’ll see him out there, possibly starting for us as a corner.”
His physical skills are apparent, but Johnson says that Gauthier still has to work on the cerebral side of the game.
“It’s going to take him having the ability to mentally be able to play the next play,” the coach explained. “That’s always the struggle (for rookies) of just having that confidence level to go out and compete on every down.”
After seven days of training camp, it’s becoming more apparent who is strengthening their case to make the team. The rookie from Montreal has certainly played his way into that category.
GAME NOTES: The Argos held a walkthrough on Saturday, the latter portion of which was held in the rain…Jovon Johnson caught the attention of his team in the meeting room just before Friday night’s teaching session. The 42-year-old former all-star defensive back, now almost a decade into retirement, shocked everyone by performing a full back flip, sticking the landing and getting a huge ovation from those in the room.