Montreal Gazette

Football takes back seat to family for ex-Al Perrett

CFL veteran realizes it’s time to move on weeks after signing deal with Argonauts

- HERB ZURKOWSKY hzurkowsky@postmedia.com twitter.com/HerbZurkow­sky1

Like any profession­al athlete, Jeff Perrett always wondered how retirement would find its way to him. And, although he fulfilled his dream by walking away on his own terms, nobody could have envisioned how this scenario would play out.

Released by the Alouettes at the end of January following 10 seasons with the Canadian Football League team — coincident­ally not long before he was due a significan­t bonus on his contract, worth in excess of $200,000 annually — the offensive tackle actively pursued employment with another team.

When he signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Argonauts in April, it seemed like the perfect fit — Perrett reunited with former Als general manager Jim Popp and head coach Marc Trestman. But on May 1, the Argos announced the retirement of the 33-year-old.

Although all CFL teams had to reduce rosters to 75 players that day, this wasn’t a cosmetic paper move by Popp, according to Perrett. Rather, he simply felt out of place after attending the team’s mini-camp in Florida, surrounded by new teammates and a new position coach.

Perrett returned to his winter home in Queens, N.Y., contemplat­ed his situation, discussed it with his wife and came to the conclusion he had lost his will to play. He simply lacked the mental resilience to commit himself to the game that brought him so much.

“I was excited. When I heard Trestman was back, I figured Toronto’s going to be a great place to go. It ended up happening,” Perrett said. “I got there ... I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. I just wasn’t enjoying it. I wasn’t having fun. I didn’t have the same passion and motivation. I don’t know if it was the new surroundin­gs, the new teammates, the unfamiliar­ity with everything, the new position coach? I don’t know. It all kind of factored into it.

“I didn’t want to ... all the sacrifices and commitment I’d have to make to continue playing. I just wasn’t willing to do it anymore. I wish I had a heads-up. It just happened. I always wondered how (retirement) was going to happen. It just came out of left field.”

A native of Taber, Alta., Perrett attended the University of Tulsa before being selected in the thirdround (24th overall) by the Als in 2006. He made his debut the following season, dressing for eight games, before becoming a fixture at right tackle.

The 6-foot-6, 330 pounder won Grey Cups with the team in 2009 and ’10, and was the East Division’s outstandin­g offensive lineman in 2014, when the team rebounded from a 1-7 start under head coach Tom Higgins to finish 9-9, advancing to the division final.

But the Als fired Higgins eight games into 2015 and haven’t been the same since.

The team went 6-12 that year, improving by one win last season. Montreal missed the playoffs both times and Perrett’s play seemed to deteriorat­e.

It was hardly a surprise when the Als released him, all things considered.

“I was expecting to play. I wanted to play,” Perrett said.

“At the end of last season, I was thinking I’d play five more years, try to grind it out as long as I could.”

But spending the winters in New York with his U.S.-born wife, an elementary school teacher, and their three children altered Perrett’s perspectiv­e. He was almost in a vacuum, he admitted.

“I don’t know if I mentally had kind of moved on. I was just completely separated from it,” he said.

“Honestly, I didn’t think a whole lot about football until a little bit before I signed with Toronto.

“Leaving my family was huge. I’ve grown personally and have enjoyed being a dad and being able to see my kids all the time. Another six months away from them ... I can’t sacrifice and commit to being away from them that long anymore.”

With CFL training camps opening May 28, it’s a bitterswee­t and confusing time for Perrett, he said.

Coincident­ally, he didn’t sign retirement papers, technicall­y allowing him to return this season should a call be placed and he finds there’s still some game left in him.

“Once June comes around, I’ll see what happens and how I feel. It’s a weird time right now,” said Perrett, the 2015 recipient of the Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Trophy after admitting in a Montreal Gazette article he was a recovering alcoholic.

“I know I’m going to miss playing games, I’m going to miss the guys, everything it takes to be a profession­al athlete,” he said.

“I’m very fortunate to have played for 10 years. Who would have thought some snot-nosed kid from Taber would ever make it to the big city of Montreal and play football?

“I think it’s time.”

Who would have thought some snot-nosed kid from Taber would ever make it to the big city of Montreal and play football? I think it’s time.

 ?? JOHN MAHONEY ?? Former Alouettes offensive lineman Jeff Perrett signed a one-year deal with the Argos in April, but on May 1 the team announced he would be retiring.
JOHN MAHONEY Former Alouettes offensive lineman Jeff Perrett signed a one-year deal with the Argos in April, but on May 1 the team announced he would be retiring.

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