FLOWER BRANCH, Georgia | In the Falcons’ team briefing room in suburban Atlanta, a clock counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers. Excited as the big day approaches, Matthew Bergeron will become the first Quebec player to take his first steps in the NFL as a starter.

Each day, as the Victorian left-wing security guard takes his place in the room and the seconds tick by on-screen, his new reality hits him.

“Every time I walk by I’m like, ‘tabarouette, it’s getting closer!” Of course I get nervous, but it’s positive. I can’t wait to prove myself, I’ve dreamed of doing this since I was little. “It looks big, an NFL game, but to me it’s a football game like it was when I played for the Vicas,” he told the Newspaper, on location in Atlanta for Bergeron’s debut.

“I am happy to represent Quebec. Of course I’m proud of that. I want one day to see a Quebecer break through in the NFL and it’s not that uncommon and it’s like hockey,” he added.

In the big leagues

Bergeron clearly hasn’t stolen his place in the dressing room. In addition, as a welcome “gift” for having built its nest among the “dirty birds”, the Quebecer, like all other recruits, must pay an amount of 20 dollars to the veterans, who invest the amounts collected at the end of the season. in a huge team dinner.

“That’s my rent,” he says, smiling broadly.

He had to get this place the hard way. Since the end of his senior season at Syracuse University in December, his life has been a rolling fire.

Countless practice sessions, team interviews, the draft, spring training, and a grueling six-week training camp that was just concluding, quickly immersed him in the NFL bath. The days that start at 6:30 in the morning in the gym and end after the recruit meetings in the evening have become his everyday life and he doesn’t think to complain about it.

“It’s very demanding for a rookie, but I like it when it rolls. When I’m not doing anything, I think and get nervous. I can’t sit still. I thrive in it,” he noted.

A really shitty day

But the NFL’s dream isn’t always idyllic. As in any profession, there are ups and downs. His coaches expect a lot from him on the pitch and it’s not often that he gets a pat on the back.

Bergeron even relates in an amused tone that at the end of a tough day at training camp, head coach Arthur Smith walked into the briefing room and told Bergeron he’d just had a shitty day (“dog shit Day”). We’ll be back and get the white gloves!

“Like everyone else, it hit me back then, but you have to learn. The day after I didn’t make the same mistakes and that’s what my coach wanted to see. The veterans told me that he only did this to see how I would react if I fell in a game situation. He tested me and I reacted well,” he said.

A new attitude

Credit: Kyle Hess/Atlanta Falcons

Apart from Bergeron’s brute force, it is perhaps precisely his phlegm in a crisis situation that has convinced his new bosses.

After all, not only did he have to find his place in the NFL, but he also had to learn a new position at the same time, having previously evolved as a blocker in the collegiate scene.

“Physically I haven’t changed, but mentally I’ve had to adapt. Things happen a lot quicker when you’re alert than when you’re a blocker. You meet bigger guys, so there’s less finesse. These guys all want to penetrate you Breast. I had to change the placement of my hands and feet. My athletic side and natural strength helped me adapt,” explained the man who will face one of the league’s rising tackles Derrick Brown on Sunday.

In the adult world

As if the challenge wasn’t big enough, Bergeron weathered the unrelenting hurricane of spring and summer by buying a home in the Atlanta area, with all the attendant responsibilities he spotted on the pile.

“It’s adult life that hits me at 23. I’ve learned to take care of paying my taxes, shopping for my belongings, and inspecting the house. I had the alarm systems installed and handled the pesticides because Georgia has a lot of bugs. I discovered a lot of business! You make mistakes and there was a moment when I felt like it was all happening at the same time,” he smiled, still in disbelief.

Now that those busy months are behind him, the most important but also most challenging part of the job lies ahead. After all, Bergeron will be in his element on Sunday at 1 p.m. on the grounds of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“I feel prepared and I think I belong. This will be a big test for me. It won’t be perfect, it won’t always be pretty, but the most important thing will be how I react to small defeats to turn them into wins.

Credit: Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons

In French please!

As for the entry fees as a rookie, Matthew Bergeron is far from having experienced the horror stories that have circulated in various sports over the years. Instead, his daily duties consisted of delivering food and transporting equipment to the veterans. The highlight is undoubtedly his rendition of Canada’s national anthem in front of a packed hall full of players. “I want Quebec to know that I only sang in French. “It was fun and everyone enjoyed it,” said former Falcons second-round pick Cégep de Thetford proudly.

A dive into the action

Matthew Bergeron had a bright idea in the first few weeks of training camp that the Falcons would consider nominating him to chair the starting left defense. Not only has veteran Matt Hennessy fallen in battle and his season is already over, but like the other starters on the team, he’s seen very little ground in the preseason games. “I was able to get a taste of what to expect. I played two series against Cincinnati. “I’m not the same player who arrived here on July 18,” he said.

On special forces

Matthew Bergeron will not only play in attack on Sunday, but will also be involved in special teams. Without revealing all of his cards, special teams coordinator Marquice Williams told dem Newspaper that Bergeron would be used as a protector in a precision kick situation, whether on placements or conversions after a touchdown. “He’ll be our secret punt returner! He’d probably like that!” he joked at a press conference, before praising Bergeron’s “deportment and professionalism”.