Alouettes QB labelled ’brash, confident and talented’

Bruce Barnum bursts into laughter when he hears the idea that his former quarterback has become the villain of the Canadian Football League.

The Portland State University head coach understands why Davis Alexander, who Barnum spent six years coaching in the Pacific Northwest, would receive such a label, but he also knows what’s at the root of one of the league’s most polarizing talents.

“I’ve been coaching college football for over 30 years, and I don’t know if I’ve ever found a competitor that is more win-at-all-costs,” Barnum said. “That’s his focus, and that’s how he’s been since I met him.”

Alexander, who will attempt to lead the Montreal Alouettes to the franchise’s second Grey Cup in three years on Sunday, plays a position where it’s taboo to waver from an even-keeled demeanour and offer up more than a generic statement to the media.

So it raised eyebrows when the 27-year-old product of Gig Harbour, Wash., went against the grain ahead of the Eastern semifinal, firing shots at the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers and one of its star players: “Bring Willie (Jefferson) over, bring Winnipeg over. What does he say? ‘Come on down to Winnipeg.’ Well, come on down to Montreal — let’s see what happens.”

Alexander’s on-field performance backed up his comments — as he’s done consistently throughout a young career that has yielded a 13-0 record as a starter — and his play style would suggest he’s embraced the role of the antagonist. It’s common to see him taunting the crowd after a big play, while welcoming and delivering his fair share of trash talk to his opponents.

It wasn’t long before fans grew fatigued of the boisterous pivot and took their opinions to social media, calling him cocky, arrogant and awarding him the title of the CFL’s villain.

“Brash. Confident. And talented. Davis isn’t going after anybody, no way in hell is it malicious,” said Barnum. “He might sometimes need a filter, but that’s because he’s emotional; he cares about the game. I guarantee you, he cares about the fans in the stands as much as he does his family.”

Barnum asserts Alexander has a passion for the game that is rare. He saw it soon after Alexander arrived on campus in the summer of 2016 — a teen who was more outspoken than most freshmen and more demanding of his teammates than anyone else.

When Alexander assumed the starting role in 2018, he had already won over his teammates, and the locker room rallied behind him.

It’s been the same in Montreal, where Alexander has become a spark plug for his team in every game he plays. Watching their unapologetic quarterback flaunt his personality has, in many ways, galvanized the club late in the season.

“I love it,” said Tyson Philpot, one of Alexander’s best friends on the team. “I think his attitude is misunderstood. I think people see it as cocky; I see it as confidence.

“He walks and talks what he is, and I think that’s what allows the team to rally around him. He’s built for these moments and games like this.”

One week after Alexander’s comments about Jefferson, Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris, known to be a demure personality in comparison to Alexander, had his turn when asked about his Western final opponent, B.C. Lions pivot Nathan Rourke: “I’m not here to talk about Nathan Rourke,” Harris said. “I think it’s our time.”

Harris, who pledged that his comments toward Rourke were not from a place of disdain but rather fatigue from being asked the same question over again, said he’s indifferent when it comes to Alexander speaking his mind to the media, but he respects it.

“I think as long as you’re authentic. I probably feel a very similar way behind closed doors; some people just bring it out in a different way,” said Harris, who was Alexander’s teammate in Montreal in 2022. “I know Davis, and he is built that way. He’s fiery, competitive, and we both are. It’s more or less just how you show it in front of a microphone or whatever.”

Alexander, who grew up a fan of the New York Yankees, recited a commercial from 2007 that featured Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter being booed incessantly by opposing fans. He also remembers the Alouettes being ranked ninth in the league’s power rankings and being given a 0.9 per cent chance to win the Grey Cup earlier this season.

It’s the kind of bulletin board material he searches for daily. It feeds his competitive nature and ultimately creates the player who takes the field on game day.

“I’m gonna play the way I want to play. I understand the villain part, because I do play with a lot of passion, and I think a lot of people have been calling me arrogant and cocky, and I can see it a little bit from their vantage point. I don’t want to ever come across that way,” Alexander said. “I just want to play with passion. I want to play with energy, because that’s who I am.”

While Alexander’s brash style has added an element of entertainment value to the three-down product, it has also been met by some harsh responses. He’s received nasty messages on social media, including ones that mention his late father, who died last year after a battle with lung cancer.

Matt, who was 56, was close with his son. They would chat over the phone before every game since high school, often ending with a last-minute pep-talk from dad.

“I can handle a lot. You can say whatever you want to me, just try and keep (my family) out of it,” Alexander said.

“As far as the role goes, I’ll be whatever anyone wants me to be. I just hope that maybe off the field people can give me a chance and shake my hand and just say, ‘Nice to meet you.’”

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When the 112th Grey Cup kicks off on Sunday, not much will be guaranteed between the Alouettes and Roughriders. One thing everyone can count on, however, is Davis Alexander — villain or not — being who he’s always been: himself.

“Here’s one for your fans: there’s no other guy I would want to lead my team into that game than him,” said Barnum, who will be watching.

“I’m sure he’s banged up again. He’s always banged up, dragging his ass off the ground, but I guarantee you, you don’t want another guy leading your squad. He’ll find a way.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

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Joshua Frey-Sam
Reporter

Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.

Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.