CALGARY — The media luncheon was winding down, the room nearly empty. Indeed, only two Montreal Alouettes — quarterback Anthony Calvillo and Davis Sanchez — remained in the room, completing their final interviews.

“The two highest-profile guys,” quipped Sanchez, the veteran Canadian cornerback.

And it was hard to argue with him.

Sanchez has never met a microphone or notepad he didn’t like — and we mean that in a positive way. It’s not that the nine-year Canadian Football League veteran craves attention. Rather, the media gravitates to him, knowing he’ll always speak his mind. 

“I’m honest and outspoken,” he said Friday, moments before the Als conducted their final full workout at McMahon Stadium prior to Sunday’s Grey Cup against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. “My mouth definitely has gotten me into trouble — it still does. There are still times I wish I could bite my tongue.”

Sanchez calls a spade a spade. From the moment he arrived at Montreal’s training camp a decade ago, after being selected by the team sixth overall, it was clear he was a mixture of brash and confident, cocky and arrogant. Perhaps it was because, at five-foot-nine and 188 pounds, he wasn’t the biggest defensive back. Or, perhaps the North Delta, B.C., native knew the obstacles he was attempting to overcome — a Canadian seeking to play a position normally reserved for Americans.

“I think I had a chip on my shoulder,” he said, reflecting upon his early days with the franchise. “I think, definitely, being that I was the only Canadian defensive back. I wasn’t given respect. I had to earn it.

“I’m a very competitive guy. I felt I was going to have success . . . like I could play,” added the 35-year-old. “When I didn’t get that respect because I was Canadian, I took exception and wanted to prove them wrong.”

And heaven help anyone who attempted to stand in the way or even give a wayward glance in his direction. Sanchez got into a handful of fights with teammates as a rookie at practice, once even battling backup quarterback Stanley Jackson. “And whoever else wanted a shot at the champ,” Sanchez remembered.

“I’ve always been like that . . . a little feisty. Unfortunately, I’ve never backed down.”

There aren’t many players left from that day. Centre Bryan Chiu, one of the few, admitted he never saw anyone like Sanchez. Chiu, another B.C. native — although the two never played against each other during their minor football days — said he never witnessed a teammate so self-assertive and irreverent.

“Brash, arrogant, cocky. He had that edge,” said Chiu, a pro only two seasons when Sanchez was drafted. “Maybe it was because he was playing an American position and had to prove himself.

“But, man, I thought he was an arrogant guy. Our first road trip was to Edmonton and there weren’t enough seats on the bus. As a rookie, he was expected to stand. Instead, he got out and took a cab. A lot of the veterans didn’t like it.”

Fortunately for Sanchez, he could play. And he made an immediate impact on the team, intercepting three passes as a rookie. 

As a sophomore, he pilfered a team-leading nine balls, returning two for touchdowns. He was the East Division nominee as outstanding Canadian as Montreal advanced to the Cup, losing to B.C.

He parlayed that into an NFL contract, signing with San Diego. He spent two seasons with the Chargers before being released in February 2003. Sanchez signed a lucrative six-figure free-agent contract with Calgary that June, only to be traded to the Als the following winter; the Stampeders seeking to purge his salary.

He signed with Edmonton as a free agent in 2005. Although the Eskimos captured the championship that season, defeating the Als in double overtime, he missed the last six games and the entire playoffs with a torn hip flexor.

“For me, I feel like I’m still looking for my first Grey Cup,” he said. “Physically, I have the ring that goes on my finger, but I don’t often wear it. I don’t even know where it is.”

Sanchez was traded back to the Als in February 2006 for Reggie Durden and Robert Brown, and has remained with Montreal since. Sanchez is both older and wiser as he nears the end of his career, but certainly hasn’t lost any of his edge or competitive desire. And he provides the secondary with a stabling veteran’s influence.

“As I get older, I’ve learned to pick my battles,” he said. “It has been a gradual process of maturity. I’m always growing every year. I’m getting better and, hopefully, gaining maturity. And I now see the big picture.

“Before, I used to see things only from my own eyes. Now, it’s from the whole team’s view.”

Chiu said the players look up to Sanchez and respect him, because of the manner in which he conducts himself. “He treats people with respect. He’s more mature and professional now in his approach to the game.”

Sanchez attributes his staying power to his competitive edge and resolve. “The same things that make me hated by a lot of people make me successful.”

He has been to three Grey Cups with the Als, and lost them all. But Sanchez remains confident that streak’s about to end. This Montreal team, he said, is the most talented with which he has been.

“It’s the most disciplined and talented,” he said. “If you have those two, you should be successful.”

(Montreal Gazette)