After roughly half a year of retirement, Marc-Antoine Dequoy has returned to the football scene, competing for a championship once again.
The 31-year-old safety is currently part of the Canadian men’s team participating in the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) world flag football championship in Duesseldorf, Germany. Dequoy had previously announced his retirement from the CFL in February after spending five seasons with the Montreal Alouettes.
Explaining his decision, Dequoy stated, “Physically, I felt done with football. When you commit to a CFL contract, you’re signing up for 18 games, and I knew my body couldn’t handle the demands of a full off-season, training camp, and 18 games.”
He added, “I’ve always played at one speed throughout my career, but when I started hesitating, the risks multiplied. That’s when I realized it was time to step back.”
Despite his retirement, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound native of lle-Bizard, Quebec, initially hesitated to join flag football.
Dequoy shared, “Coach LaPolice (Canadian head coach Paul LaPolice) reached out to me immediately and asked if I was interested. At first, I told him that I had just retired and wasn’t considering it. I needed to focus on myself, spend time with my family, and go through the retirement process.”
However, after conducting research and speaking with friends who played flag football, he decided to give it a shot. Dequoy enjoyed playing a few games and found satisfaction in the competition.
Although he had to take a break from flag football from March to May to co-host the television show “Avec ou Sans Cash” (With or Without Cash), Dequoy felt a sense of something missing towards the end of the shooting in May. It was not football itself but the competitive spirit that led him to reach out to coach LaPolice to express his willingness to return to the field.
Having been a CFL all-star twice and winning the Grey Cup in 2023, transitioning to flag football presented a new and unique challenge for Dequoy.
Flag football is played on a smaller field with five players per side, where defensive players are prohibited from making contact with receivers or ball-carriers.
Adjusting to a New Game
Dequoy admitted that breaking old habits and adjusting to the rules of flag football presented a challenge, especially in avoiding physical contact during gameplay.
He mentioned, “It’s a learning process, especially in situations like rushing the quarterback where the reflex to make a physical play is deeply ingrained. I had to adapt quickly to the non-contact nature of the sport.”
Furthermore, grabbing an opponent’s flag proved to be one of the toughest aspects for Dequoy. Despite improvements, he acknowledged that it required continuous effort to master the technique.
Regarding the competition in Germany, Canada’s schedule was modified after Nigeria withdrew its men’s and women’s teams due to travel visa issues. As a result, Canada will play