50TH VANIER CUP INTERVIEW SERIES: Patrice Aubriot & Ali Ajram, University of Ottawa (2000)

50^TH VANIER CUP INTERVIEW SERIES: 2000

A conversation with...

Patrice Aubriot, receiver & Ali Ajram, running back

University of Ottawa Gee-Gees

In Vanier Cup XXXVI, the Ottawa Gee-Gees celebrated the 25^th anniversary of the program’s first national title with a spectacular 42-39 win over the Regina Rams at SkyDome in Toronto. It was the highest-scoring Vanier Cup decided in regulation – second-highest overall – and the first CIAU football final played in the month of December (Dec. 2). Receiver Patrice Aubriot and running back Ali Ajram were key contributors in the victory over the Rams, who took the CIAU by storm in 2000 by reaching the championship game in only their second season in the Canada West league.  

The 2000 final was the highest-scoring Vanier Cup decided in regulation time. Did that style of game make it more exciting as a player?

PA: Absolutely. We were able to distribute the ball to lots of different players on offence, including Mike DiBattista, Darryl Ray, Jeremy White, Nathan Thompson, Maxime Dufault, Michael Shaver, Alexandre Mathieu, and Ali. Looking back, we had the best defence in Canada that year. We had the least points scored against, by a huge margin, and a long list of future CFL players. Because of the quality of our defence, opponents didn’t stay on the field for very long. That being said, the Rams had lots of weapons on offence, too: Darryl Leason, Jason Clermont and Neal Hughes.

(Note: In 2000, the Gee-Gees had allowed only 79 points in 11 games going into the Vanier Cup final (7.2 points per game), including a ridiculous 52 points in eight contests during the regular season (6.5). By way of comparison, Regina ranked 22^nd among the 24 CIAU teams in league play with 35.1 points allowed per outing and had conceded another 90 points in their first three post-season duels) 

What do you remember about the touchdown you scored?

AA: Watching film leading up to the game, we were optimistic that the play called on my touchdown would work well, as the weak-side linebacker was undersized and the defensive end played a more up-field rush. When the play started, it was more of a sprint to the goal line to beat the halfback, because blocking assignments by the whole team were flawless.

(Note: Ajram, a team captain who finished the game with 51 rushing yards on six carries, scored on a 15-yard run with five minutes left in the second quarter to make it 28-10 Gee-Gees. Ottawa would add another touchdown before halftime to take a commanding 35-10 lead to the locker room)

What is your one major lasting memory of the actual game?

PA: I played with many talented guys on offence. During the Vanier Cup, I was called on twice to run a slot reverse. Both times it was so successful it felt like I was running in slow motion. This is mainly because all I had to do was get behind two of our great pulling guards -- Luc Gilbert and Jocelyn Frenette. These two plays resulted in big first downs and the crowd was roaring. At that point in my football career, I had played a lot of games and had made a lot of first downs. But, making plays in the Vanier Cup is a whole different experience. I’ll never forget the feeling.

(Note: Aubriot amassed 23 yards on those two runs and also caught two balls for 19 yards in the win. Frenette went on to a 10-year CFL career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders)

 What do you remember as the key play of the game?

PA: Hands down, the key play was on special teams. Near the end of the game, the Rams attempted a field goal which would have brought them to within a touchdown. Pat Paradis, a defensive end, touched the ball and deflected it outside of the uprights. It was very subtle, not everybody saw it, but it could have been the difference between winning and losing.

AA: I would say Frantz Jacques, our cornerback, making an outstanding defensive play against a wide receiver to keep us in the lead -- one of the most athletic plays I had seen all season from our defence.

(Note: Paradis’ key special teams play came on a 37-yard attempt by Regina rookie kicker Jon Ryan, who is currently in his ninth NFL season and helped the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl last February)

Did anything unusual or out of the ordinary happen during the game or during Vanier week?

AA: The first drive when we were in shotgun, the snap came early and the ball passed quarterback Phil Côté and I and rolled around in the backfield. Phil picked it up, scrambled left and then right, and dumped it off to Jeremy White for a 25-yard gain. 

You played in two Vanier Cups, in 1997 and 2000. What was the difference between the first one, in your first year as a Gee-Gee, and winning in your final year? 

PA: The road to the Vanier Cup can take a toll on your body. The 1997 team had to go through Waterloo in the Churchill Bowl semifinal, which is ranked by many as one of the top-five CIS games of all time. It also included a bizarre mascot debacle that you had to see to believe. A lot of players did not make it to the Vanier Cup in 1997 because of injuries sustained in that game, and many others played injured and weren’t able to finish the Vanier Cup. In 2000, we were lucky enough to have a healthy team, a good mix of veterans and younger players, and the wisdom of coaches and seven returning players from 1997.

(Note: The Gee-Gees beat Waterloo 44-37 at home in the 1997 Churchill Bowl to advance to the Vanier Cup, where they fell 39-23 to UBC)

Tell us about the events that led to the 2000 Vanier Cup.

PA: I had the privilege of playing four years with Hec Crighton-winning quarterback Phil Côté. He was an amazing football player and the leader of our offence. But during our match-up against Laval in the Dunsmore Cup, he was injured and had to leave the game. Our backup quarterback, James Baker, filled in and silenced the crowd in Quebec City. James continued as our quarterback in the Churchill Bowl against McMaster in Hamilton and led us through the Marauders to the Vanier Cup. Because of James, Phil was able to return as our starting quarterback in the Vanier Cup and we were successful against Regina.

(Note: Baker guided Ottawa to a 26-9 win over Laval in the OQIFC conference final and a 20-15 defeat of McMaster in the Churchill Bowl. Côté, who had claimed the Hec Crighton Trophy in 1999, was named MVP of the 2000 Vanier Cup, the final game of his university career, after he completed 16 of 18 passes for 275 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, and also added a team-high 91 yards rushing and a major on 14 carries)

Did the coaches do anything different from the normal routine in the preparation for the game?

PA: The night before the game, Marcel Bellefeuille, our head coach, gave me and a few other veterans the opportunity to speak. I used to tell Marcel that every time I spoke before a game we would end up winning. Admittedly, Marcel was skeptical of my claim and was quick to answer, ‘’That’s easy to say Pat, when you’ve lost only five regular season games in four years as a Gee-Gee.” I was the last to speak. It was very emotional and I really felt I had an impact on the team.

After the veterans had wrapped up, Marcel brought in Don Gilbert, the head coach who had led the Gee-Gees to their 1975 Vanier Cup win. Mr. Gilbert was retired and a very respected man. He gave a memorable speech. After his speech, we felt we could go through a wall to win the Cup. But the best part was at the end of his speech. He pulled down his pants and showed us the Gee-Gee tattoo on his rear end that he had done after they won in ’75. It was the last thing we expected from this honourable man who stood in front of us wearing a suit. It was hilarious.

What is your major memory of the entire Vanier Cup week and the overall experience?

PA: My roommate in Toronto that week was Phil Côté. He and I had been together since our first Vanier Cup appearance in 1997 and we studied commerce together on campus. We had a tight friendship and still do. Our student and campus experience was amazing. We also had two great professors who came to all of our games. The type of professors you would be listening intensely to in class, they were just that good. Fifteen years later, Normand Fortier and Clinton Archibald both remain good friends and mentors to me.

AA: Being a Toronto native and being back in TO, having the offence being announced on the field with friends, family, former teammates and former coaches in attendance to watch the game. I will never forget the feeling of seeing them all at the game, as early as the warm-ups.

How did the team react to the stadium and the crowd?

PA: We were used to big noisy crowds, having played many games against Laval in Quebec City. But SkyDome was big. Even as a seasoned veteran, I remember feeling amazed and excited.

AA: We were prepared for it as our playoff run stopped at Laval, and anyone who has played at Laval knows would loud it is. We prepped with loud music during practice leading up to the Dunsmore Cup against Laval and that conditioned us to work in that environment. Plus it was a pro Gee-Gee crowd at SkyDome, so we fed off that noise!

What are your memories of the post-game celebrations on the field and/or in the dressing room?

AA: I have great memories of the celebration on the field, of being one of the captains to hoist the Vanier, and of Adam Maheu coming up to join us on stage. Adam had suffered a career-ending neck injury that season and we all had that extra motivation in 2000 to finish with a Vanier for #80

PA: When the game was over, I lay down on the 50-yard line and called my mom and dad in Montreal. I thanked them for supporting me in my studies and I remember my dad gave me an earful because we almost ended up losing the game. Back in the change room, Luc Gélineau, our athletic director, brought in two coolers full of champagne bottles. We splashed them everywhere in the dressing room. It was fantastic and felt like we were a pro team on TV.

What did the team do to celebrate when you got back to Ottawa?

AA: Our sponsors arranged for a Vanier Cup celebration and the night was memorable. We were also honoured at City Hall with Ottawa Gee-Gee Day.

How often to you reminisce about your Vanier Cup win?

PA: As much as I have the chance, it’s so special. The chances of a university player getting there and winning are so thin that you cherish it on every occasion. It’s almost like winning the lottery.  Go Gee-Gees!

How did winning the Vanier Cup shape what you do in your career?

PA: It was my last game after a four-year university career. Finishing on a high note is sweet. You go through so much on the way to the Vanier Cup and that experience, the team work, the leadership and effort to get there gives you tools for life. It made me understand that nobody can take that away from me. Football players are driven, they never stop, they always want to improve. They are aggressive and sensitive, they want to win and get the job done. They want to be part of a winning team. That’s priceless in the workforce. 

AA: It taught me commitment, and understanding that doing something through to completion is the only true measure of success. Football philosophy and business philosophy are one and the same. Adapting my learning from my time as a Gee-Gee allowed my professional development today to be in my control. That is the true essence of football -- being a champion and living that philosophy.