National Post

Trestman: Calvillo is on his own timetable

Montreal coach says he sees a player adjusting

- BY MATTHEW SCIANITTI

The CFL’s small universe might mumble about Montreal Alouettes quarterbac­k Anthony Calvillo’s future, but head coach Marc Trestman is not curious. When pressed, he thinks the 39-year-old might not make a decision for another “two or three years.”

“[Calvillo] will tell us when enough is enough,” Trestman said Friday at news conference at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

Trestman observes Calvillo more than anyone else, and what he sees is a body that keeps producing, even adjusting. Calvillo suffered a bruised left shoulder in a win over Winnipeg on July 6, and has since subconscio­usly changed his throwing motion. Instead of using his left shoulder to complete his throwing rotation, Calvillo has tucked the arm in and begun releasing the ball higher, which is adding more velocity.

Matt Dunigan, the TSN analyst and Canadian Football Hall of Fame quarterbac­k, noticed the change and explained it at halftime of Montreal’s game against Calgary last Thursday. Calvillo threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns as the Alouettes came back in the final minute to beat the Stampeders 33-32.

“I didn’ t realize I was [throwing differentl­y] until after [practice to prepare for Calgary],” Calvillo said, who is still trying to regain full range of motion, but has been taking all his snaps in practice.

“I had to [change] because I could not just lift my shoulder … I have to throw every ball as hard as I can now just to compensate because I’m losing that rotation. So I have to step into everything, and the ball is coming out pretty fast.”

Trestman knows Calvillo will get time to recover during the bye week at the beginning of August, but believes it is another example of the 19-year veteran’s exceptiona­l physical condition.

“I think the thing people don’t see, unless they’re with us everyday, is when [Calvillo] moves in practice he doesn’t look much different than he did five years ago … In fact he is a little bit leaner, and running a little bit smoother because of the training method that he is using to take care of his body.

“I think it is a mental and emotional decision as to how much longer he wants to [play] over the physical.”

National Post

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