Before they became the CFL’s leading pass-and-catch combination with the Alouettes, Tyson Philpot and Davis Alexander were strangers competing on opposite sides, seeking national bragging rights while pursuing their dreams.
It wasn’t uncommon for receiver Philpot, while attending high school in Delta, B.C., to make the 280-km trip down to Gig Harbor, Wash., the home of quarterback Alexander, for seven-on-seven football.
“I knew who he was. I think he knew of me — but maybe not because of U.S. ignorance,” Philpot, 26, quipped recently during an interview with The Gazette. “We were on the same field … knowing of each other and appreciating how good each other were.”