ATLANTA | And square tailgate Near the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, two individuals stood with their jerseys emblazoned with the number 65. Together with them, a family of football fans decided to plan their annual sports trip to Georgia. His career is still in its infancy, but Matthew Bergeron has already built a small fan club of Quebecers in Atlanta.
Mathieu Veillette, who achieved himself a good level of football as a former defensive back for Rouge et Or at Laval University, will not forget Bergeron’s debut with his brother Luc and the his father Marcel.
“We certainly watched Bergeron, as we watched Laurent Duvernay-Tardif when we saw him play in Pittsburgh.
“The ingredients are there for him to have a great career. He’s got enough size and that can’t be taught. He seems like a serious guy and he’s going to fall on a team that likes to run the ball. I think the fit perfect,” he said, smiling.
Logical destination
Every fall, the Veillette clan hits the road to combine the excitement of the NFL with an NCAA football game and another from major baseball.
“When we started looking at our destination, we weren’t talking about Atlanta. We were looking at Dallas and Denver, etc. Then, we realized that in Atlanta, we had the possibility of going to the Braves on Friday , at the University of Georgia on Saturday and the Falcons on Sunday, with the addition of a Quebecer as a starter. Everyone is there!”, rejoiced the father of the family, Marcel Veillette, cousin of the physical trainer of many athletes in Quebec Raymond Veillette.
When Falcons guard Matt Hennessy went down in action during training camp, the Veillette family, never enjoying the misfortune of others, quickly realized they would be witnessing Bergeron’s NFL debut.
“You will get your chance when it passes,” emphasized the third member of the family, Luc.
65 and a flag
David Guilbert and Willy Boivin could not pass their turn either. Football lovers at heart, they will have many opportunities to interact with Bergeron as part of their podcast First and goals.
Along with teammate Martin St-Jean, the Raiders proudly wore Falcons 65 jerseys, with Bergeron’s name embroidered on the shoulders. They took their place in the home of the Falcons with their Quebec flag.
“This is a page in history for football in Quebec,” said Willy Boivin bluntly.
“Young people in Quebec can dream of seeing a Quebec player on the field, starting as a rookie. It’s impressive. If you know all the sacrifices Matthew made to reach this level , it’s inspiring,” he continued.
“We have a guy who started the biggest professional sports league in North America and he remains very down to earth. We are experiencing a magic moment,” added David Guilbert.
A magical first time, but certainly not the last.
