National Post (National Edition)
A SAFETY FOR THE DEFENCE
EVEN AS A LAWYER, ALS’ BROUILLETTE IS ALL ABOUT THE TEAM
HAVING A STRATEGY AND BENDING THOSE RULES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE — IT’S SIMILAR TO FOOTBALL GAME-PLANNING AND PREPARING.
MONTREAL • With a summer of freedom suddenly at his disposal — probably for the first time in at least a decade — Marc-Olivier Brouillette spent more time at his cottage, and relaxed.
If he didn’t feel like going to the gym, he didn’t, although he hopes to compete in a half-Ironman competition next summer. He finds himself eating less and has shed six or seven pounds from his six-foot-one, 230-pound frame.
“I haven’t let the whole (conditioning) thing go to s--- just yet,” he quipped. “I definitely don’t miss that part of it … the lingering aches and pains.”
Brouillette, a Montreal native, spent seven seasons playing for his hometown Alouettes. A college quarterback at Universite de Montreal, he was forced to change positions after being selected in the third round (23rd overall) by the Als in 2010, making a successful transition to safety.
He played 103 games and made 195 defensive tackles, 31 more on special teams. Brouillette was named an East Division all-star in 2016 and was a member of the team’s last Grey Cup-champion squad in 2010.
A free agent last winter, Brouillette signed with Saskatchewan only to retire in late May, on the eve of training camp.
“It didn’t feel right. I knew in my head I would have gone out there and wouldn’t have been 100 per cent committed to it,” the 31-yearold told Postmedia News. “My career weighed into the decision.”
Since late June, he has been one of three lawyers at Morrone Avocats, a small firm in east-central Montreal, specializing in construction and real estate law.
Brouillette, who graduated in 2009 and was called to the bar in 2014 during the height of his career, works with developers on large residential and commercial projects. He had little interest in criminal law at school, instead engrossed by his civil law classes.
“I always enjoyed working within the rules and having a structure,” he said. “Having a strategy and bending those rules to your advantage — it’s similar to football gameplanning and preparing.”
Brouillette, an Als player representative his final four seasons, recently became registered and certified with the CFL’s Players’ Association and is considering becoming an agent. He said he might also get his NFL certificate.
Joe Morrone, the sole partner at Brouillette’s firm, said the newest addition’s football background assisted him through the interview process. But in no way, Morrone insisted, did Brouillette’s association with the Als influence his decision.
“I was attracted by the fact, first of all, that he’s very well spoken. He’s fully bilingual, which is a big plus for law firms nowadays,” Morrone said. “Coming from professional sports, there’s discipline there. Somebody who makes it to that high level, you know this guy’s disciplined. He’s going to be on time, he understands the chain of command, he’s also going to be a team player.”
Brouillette doesn’t deny there are aspects of the game he misses, mostly the camaraderie of being around his teammates. He wasn’t sure how he would react once the regular season started, but found he was content sitting at home, watching games on TV — until he ventured to Molson Stadium Aug. 11 to watch the Als play the Toronto Argonauts. Brouillette had the luxury of going on the field for pre-game warm-ups.
“I didn’t know what to expect. That was a lot tougher than sitting and watching,” he said. “Old habits take over and you start reliving those game-day emotions.”