Jonathan Beaulieu-Richard made an impression

“It's not fair and it doesn't make any sense…” , reacted the coordinator of the special units Byron Archambault with the tremolo in the voice. 

The 31-year-old coach was Beaulieu-Richard's teammate with the Université de Montréal Carabins during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. At the same time, head coach Danny Maciocia and Alouettes defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe were working as coaches within the team of the Quebec university circuit.

“I am devastated by the news. I knew he was sick and it's sad. He was a fantastic human,” Thorpe said of the man who died of cancer.

Last spring, the “Als” held their training camp in Trois- Rivières, where Beaulieu-Richard lived.

“We had the chance to see him a few times with his little family during the camp and it was beautiful to see,” said Maciocia. I won't hide that it's been difficult since we learned of his departure, but I will always remember the beautiful times we had together.”

A positive leader

Archambault, Thorpe and Maciocia have all underlined Beaulieu-Richard's many qualities, but it is above all his positive attitude that has marked the minds of those who have had the chance to meet him.

“It' was the captain! Everyone called him “captain” and he deserved that title. He always had a smile and stood out for his positivism. He was a smart man and a whole football player, but above all, he was an excellent person,” said Archambault.

College football fans may recall that Maciocia's arrival at the Carabins was not a quiet one. In November 2010, the Montrealer was hired after the dismissal of Marc Santerre and several club players had taken the news very badly. They had summoned the press themselves to make their dissatisfaction known.

In this turmoil, Beaulieu-Richard had been a unifier.

“He was positive through this change, remembered Archambault. There are several players who took it hard, because there is always an attachment to a group of coaches. Jonathan embraced this change and he had a positive impact through it.”

“When we arrived, he made sure to get the program going in the right direction. As a coach, I relied on him a lot,” said Thorpe.

Invaluable help 

Maciocia was also very happy to count on Beaulieu-Richard on his debut with the Carabins, and not only for the skills of the pharmacy student on the field and in the locker room.

“I was a coach who didn't know the university reality very well. I remember having asked him several times for advice regarding the management of a student-athlete,” revealed the one who arrived at the University of Montreal with about 12 years of professional experience. /p>