Dom Amore: UConn’s Martin Bedard has handled life’s tragedies, and carved out a career long-snapping back home in Montreal

[huskymedic]

>>“I always tell myself that no matter what happens, there is always going to be a tomorrow,” Bedard says. “Time will always go by. It doesn’t matter if you are sad or angry today, you just have to man up and just enjoy the journey, because life is such a journey. The hard times are always preparing you for the good times.”

Words to remember as we all travel together on this journey through the coronavirus crisis, and Bedard, like most of us, is in unfamiliar territory this May. You may have forgotten him since he left the Huskies, may have only a vague awareness of the Canadian Football League and the Montreal Alouettes, but in Canada they are a big deal, and so is Martin Bedard, unlikely and unassuming face of a franchise.<<

>>You don’t usually hear about a long-snapper unless he messes up, but Bedard’s fame in Canada, where he has twice hoisted the CFL championship Grey Cup, has come from a career of consistency and caring. After last season, Bedard received the Jake Gaudaur Veteran’s Award, given to the CFL player who “best demonstrates the attributes of Canada’s veterans: strength, perseverance, courage, comradeship and contribution to Canadian communities.” It’s akin to the NFL’s Walter Payton man of the year award.

“Whenever you win that type of award, that’s really telling people who you are as a human being,” Edsall says. “That’s going to go further than all the things he’s done in the game of football. He’s affecting so many people with how he’s handling himself, how he’s giving back to the community. That’s going to be something that’s there for a lifetime.”<<

 

[businesslawyer]

IIRC, the single key moment in his UConn career was getting called for a phantom penalty on our last drive at Rutgers in 2007, on a drive where he had two big receptions. The penalty pushed a Tony Ciaravino attempt back to over 45 yards where he hit the upright and we lost 10-9. He was the backup TE here, as well as the long snapper.

But good for the young man that he's developed the level of respect that he has.