The Saskatchewan Roughriders have long held the title of the CFL’s most passionate fanbase but after departing the province, former quarterback Cody Fajardo believes there is another group that deserves consideration.
“The biggest thing I got when I left Sask was, ‘Oh, how are you going to adjust to the Montreal Alouettes fans? It’s not like Sask,’ and I’ll say it rivals it,” Fajardo said in a live Q&A moderated by Alouettes’ social media manager Joey Alfieri.
“Obviously, there’s a lot more people in the city but I will say this, the fans that show support through us are some of the most diehard CFL and Montreal Alouettes fans that I’ve ever been a part of. To see them out with us in the pouring rain on our fan day, and to see them staying at the games when we have long delays, lightning delays, and then they continue to make it hard and hostile for opposing teams, there’s a lot of incredible fans here.”
Fajardo led the Alouettes to an unlikely Grey Cup victory in his first season in Montreal, throwing for 290 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-24 upset of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and earning the game’s Most Valuable Player award. He had an otherwise quiet season, throwing for 3,847 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 16 starts, but has since risen to cult hero status for his now-infamous pre-game speech and championship performance.
Prior to arriving in Montreal, the 31-year-old spent three seasons as the starter in Saskatchewan. Despite the general assertion that Riders’ fans are in a tier of their own, Fajardo noticed no difference in the level of support — a fact he acknowledged was one of the biggest surprises about the move.
“I did not see a change one bit and that might create some craziness in Saskatchewan, but we have some incredible fans here,” the quarterback insisted. “Some very diehard fans that care a lot about this football team and we want to do everything we can to make them proud. Being able to hoist that Grey Cup over our heads and having them be a part of it was something so special to me because of all the time, all the money and everything they dedicate to us as players in this organization.”
Fajardo was initially embraced by Rider Nation after a meteoric rise from unknown backup to Most Outstanding Player finalist in 2019. However, that relationship soured rapidly during a disappointing 2022 campaign, resulting in his eventual departure in free agency.
The Nevada product was outspoken during his time in Regina about the negative impact that social media criticism had on him and his family. His move to Montreal was accompanied by a change in mindset but was also aided by a fanbase with a different feel to it.
“We have people that come to practice. We have Heather (Lowengren) who comes out, she unfortunately lost her husband and she came out and served us freezies and baked us cupcakes and cookies and a lot of things not good for our waistline but after practice, you kind of deserve it,” Fajardo laughed.
“It just goes to show that there’s a huge family feel with the Als fans and it’s a place that I felt like I could bring my family to be a part of because no matter where we were, we always felt a part of that community. (Alouettes fans) did such a great job of opening your arms to us and we are so thankful for that.”
The Alouettes averaged crowds of 17,670 at Percival Molson Stadium this season — nearly 10,000 fewer fans than filled Mosaic Stadium weekly. However, the city experienced a resurgence of interest during the team’s playoff run, with 20,127 fans attending the lone home postseason game and thousands lining the streets of Montreal for the Grey Cup parade.
That show of support was more than enough for Fajardo to invest in the franchise long-term, signing an extension with the club that will keep him an Alouette through 2025.
“I was nervous, a lot of emotions were running through us when we signed in February,” Fajardo acknowledged. “But the amount of people that reached out to us and just kind of reassured us that this was the right spot for us in time and then winning a Grey Cup and being able to celebrate with all of you is truly something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
