Former Rouge et Or kicker Christopher Milo lays it all on the line here in favour of his alma mater winning the title of Canada’s all-time greatest football program. The Montreal native won the Vanier Cup twice with Laval before he joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2011.
SPORTSNET: Let’s hear it. Why do the Rouge et Or deserve to be crowned Canada’s all-time greatest football program?
CHRISTOPHER MILO: To be honest, I was there for four years, and in my time from 2007–2010, we managed two Vanier Cups and two Canadian semi-finals. The program is run like a CFL team. It’s run like a professional football team. They treat you like one. We’ve only been around since ’96, not very many years, but we’ve been to eight national championships and won seven. I think that speaks for itself.
SN: Tell us about the coaching staff.
CM: The way we prepare as a football team, it’s phenomenal. We have some of the best coaches in the country. You come to Laval and you’re humbled. Those guys that have come before you, they’ve paved the way, and it’s up to you to adapt, to put your ego aside once you step into the locker room and buy into the system. Coach Glen [Constantin] always says one thing at the beginning of the year: Those who stay will be champions. Because it’s not for everybody. Some guys come and go, but those who stay will be champions. If you’re there for four years you’re bound to win at least one. I was lucky enough to win two. They’ve won two since I’ve left, and I’ve only been in the CFL for three years.
SN: And how about those fans?
CM: It’s incredible. You’re playing in front of 15,000–16,000 a game when you’re at home. People live and die football out there. They have tailgates at 4:30 a.m. on game day. We’d get to the stadium around 9:00 a.m. if we were playing at 1:00 p.m., and there’s thousands of people in the parking lot cooking up breakfast. Some of them even park there overnight and sleep there, then cook out in the morning once the sun rises. It’s a huge party. The atmosphere is incredible and the fans are always behind you. It’s not a big city, but you can compare it to the Riders and Riders Nation. It’s the same enthusiasm and passion for football.
SN: What was the best part of game-day preparation with the Rouge et Or?
CM: The excitement of knowing you’re going to have thousands of fans cheering for you. The most I played in front of was 18,000 or 19,000 one year. We were playing Montreal in a playoff game. The stadium only seats around 12,000, but the fans stand around the field area on the track, and they fit another 7,000 or so in there. Knowing you’re going to be playing in front of those fans, knowing you’re going to have their support, knowing nobody’s going to come into your house and beat you. That was incredible, and there’s so much confidence that you get from that.
SN: Tell us about your favourite on-field memory.
CM: Winning the Vanier at home in 2010. I had a great game. I think I went five-for-five that day. We were playing in the snow, playing in front of all those people. It’s one of those games you dream about as a kid. You’re playing with big snowflakes coming down, you can’t see half the people in front of you, but it’s that perfect game you always dream of. Coming out on top was even sweeter.
SN: How was the party after that win at home?
CM: The tailgating carried on days and days after that. Let’s just say I missed a few classes, but don’t tell anybody.
