Vincent Alessandrini Takes Home RSEQ Offensive Rookie of The Year

Stingers Slotback Honoured After Difficult Three Years With Vanier Cheetahs

SportsAlexander Perez — Published November 21, 2016

A high school football star with the Laval Liberty Panthers, it seemed as though things were set for the young prospect. But during his three years attending Vanier College and playing for the Cheetahs, Alessandrini found it difficult to make his mark.

“At Vanier I just felt underused,” he said. “Here at Concordia they just gave me my shot and I made the best of it.”

Despite the lack of game time, Alessandrini caught the eye of Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan—who described him as a “game changer”—and immediately recruited him.

“I really like Mickey, as soon as we met. I knew he was down to earth,” Alessandrini said. “He welcomed me here with open arms.”

Donovan’s belief in Alessandrini seemed to be the push he needed to regain his confidence.

On Nov. 11, Alessandrini won the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec Offensive Rookie of the year award. He was recognized for his breakout season, leading the province with 52 receptions in eight games. He also managed to cover 554 yards of offence, recording one touchdown in the process.

“Its definitely a big accomplishment for me,” Alessandrini said. “During that time [at Vanier] I just felt like I was questioning myself, questioning my ability to play.”

Initially set to join the McGill Redmen, Alessandrini instead opted for the maroon and gold—a decision he would not regret.

“[Alessandrini] would take hits, get banged, fall down, get right back up, and he’d never show any kind of weakness,” said Donovan. “He makes things happen after he catches the ball, and there’s not too many guys like that.”

“When he really understands the game and gets his IQ up there with it, he’s gonna be even more dangerous than he was this year.” — Stingers Head Coach Mickey Donovan

Coming into training camp, Alessandrini knew he would have to climb up the ladder to prove himself to the coaches. With veterans given priority over starting roles, Alessandrini had to earn his spot as a key player.

“Coaches told me that nothing was given,” said Alessandrini. “That I have to work for everything. So that’s exactly what I did.”

He wasted no time proving his mettle. After training camp, he solidified his spot with the Stingers and, according to Donovan, hit the ground running—quite literally, actually.

It was on the Stingers’ opening game of the season that Alessandrini displayed exactly what he could do. Concordia faced off against the Redmen, a game that Alessandrini remembers quite fondly.

“The first game really made me go on the right path to just believing in myself, believing in what I can possibly do in the future in this league,” said Alessandrini. “It was definitely a memorable game for me, first game against the team I was supposed to go to and winning that game too.”

Despite recording a touchdown on his first game, it was a 40-yard run that proved to be the standout moment for Alessandrini and the Stingers.

Coming across the middle, Alessandrini received a pass from quarterback Trenton Miller. Making his way to the sidelines, he averted the first tackle. The Stingers receiver then hurdled his way past another player and dodged another challenge.

The play would eventually be pulled back due to a holding call against the Stingers. But the run alone impressed both Donovan and Miller.

“Yeah I was stunned actually,” said Miller. “Vince, he’s a reliable guy on the field, I know where to throw it to and he’s going to try to make the catch every time.”

With an exceptional performance in the opening game of the season—against the team he was set to join, no less—the shackles were off, and Alessandrini set the tone for what would become an outstanding season.

Alessandrini’s 52 catches this season were a record breaker at Concordia. The human relations major sits second in all-time receptions in a season, behind Daniel Skube, who amassed 60 catches in 2015.

“I think Vince allowed our offence to do some special things,” said Miller. “It’s something we really didn’t have last year, and it makes my job as quarterback a lot easier, knowing that I could just throw five yards and he can take it for 80.”

Even though he won the RSEQ accolade, Alessandrini will look to improve on aspects of his game during the offseason. He wants to become better at reading plays and understanding his tasks on the field.

“I think it’s something that Coach Michael Harrington identified right away, that Vince needs more film study and just needs to understand defenses and concepts a little more,” said Donovan.

“When he really understands the game and gets his IQ up there with it, he’s gonna be even more dangerous than he was this year.”

Alessandrini remains humble in his recent successes. Remembering his three fruitless years at Vanier College, he’s grateful towards his current crop of coaches and teammates for their guidance over the course of the season.

With his debut season at end, Alessandrini is looking to build on his performances. He’s wants to start training right away to improve his strength and speed. Alessandrini is confident he’ll be able to surpass the numbers he put up this past fall.

“I think for Vince more or less, if I can tell him anything, he’s a great kid, hard worker, gives it his all—I’d never doubt that,” said Donovan.