Linebacker Beverette makes the most of her expanded role with Alouettes

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Tyrice Beverette got the glory after his 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against Edmonton, but none of it would have happened without Adarius Pickett.

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Pickett, the Alouettes’ strongside linebacker, batted Taylor Cornelius’ attempted pass for Derel Walker into the hands of Beverette with the ball at the Montreal four-yard line and the Elks threatened to increase their lead to 18-17. Instead, the potential 14-point turnaround proved to be the difference in Als’ 25-18 comeback victory on Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium.

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“I mean, there had to be a goal-line play,” Pickett said Thursday after practice. “If they score at that point, the game probably could be over. He just knew that he had to make a play, somehow, somehow.

“We got a good call from (defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe). I came off the edge and made the play. Beverette made a great catch and got into (the end zone). It was a great job on his part. He played a fantastic game and is a great player. I am grateful that he is my teammate. He fits well into our defensive scheme. He is a good player. He is a very versatile guy, like me.”

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Beverette, who also had five tackles in the game, was named one of the CFL’s best players of the week on Tuesday. It was rare praise for a player little was known about before he signed with Montreal as a free agent in February.

“I definitely got a lot more attention after that play,” Beverette said Thursday. “That play clarified what I can bring to the table. I have to give the glory to my teammates. Without them, that game does not develop.

“I’m not trying to get too big,” he added. “It was a play. There is a lot left in the tank to build on.”

The 27-year-old weakside linebacker signed with the Als after two seasons with Hamilton, where he was primarily a special teams player but capable of playing numerous positions on defense. He filled in this season as safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy was sidelined due to a duel.

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“We knew his ability to play on (special) teams, but we also thought this is a guy that can help us defensively in whatever package we want to have him in,” interim head coach and general manager Danny Maciocia said. “We know he can play safety. We know he can play linebacker. He is quite athletic. He can tackle in space due to his ability to play on (special) teams. We projected that he would be a valuable collaborator on defense.

“It was signed for reasons that we are in the process of witnessing.”

Beverette attended little Stony Brook, a Division I-AA school in Long Island, NY, and didn’t get much attention coming out of high school in Lakewood, NJ In 44 games, she had 262 tackles, 27.5 tackles for losses, 14 sacks, five interceptions and seven forced fumbles.

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After a failed tryout with the NFL’s New York Jets, he signed with Cincinnati and made the Bengals’ final cuts in 2018 before being released. Beverette suffered a shoulder injury in her last college game, then injured her other shoulder during an exhibition game, although the Bengals were reportedly very interested in it.

“That’s the opportunity I had with the NFL,” he said. “Of course, everyone wants to play (in the NFL) with the best, but everything happens for a reason. Maybe what happened then will prepare me for what will happen in the future.”

Knowing she could contribute more at Hamilton made her time there frustrating, Beverette admitted, but the Tiger-Cats also reached the Gray Cup, losing to Winnipeg, both seasons.

“I’ve always been a team player,” he said. “Whatever my role was, that’s what I decided to accept.”

Meanwhile, injured running back William Stanback was activated Thursday. Provided he gets three solid days of practice, he is expected to dress Monday against Ottawa.

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