The defence rests.&rdquo

Moffat: Brouillette, Als 'D' refuses to rest against Burris
#GCPlayoffsMarco Brouillette will have to go another week without uttering the key phrase he may master in his second career. “The defence rests.”Far from it in Montreal. The defenders are getting busy in so many ways. As the Als returned to the practice field plotting against Henry Burris and another possible revolving door of Ticat quarterbacks, several utility players warmed up for possible prominent roles.Brouillette alternated in drills between the safety spot for Mike Edem and the linebacker role usually reserved for the angriest of the “Angry Birds” Kyries Hebert.“He can multi-task -- it’s a great sign when his career is over with if you want to hire a lawyer because he can handle a lot,” says GM and Head Coach Jim Popp of the hard-hitting 4th year Alouette who has little more than a month of articling remaining at the Montreal firm of Robinson Sheppard Shapiro. “First of all Brouillette’s very smart,” Popp says reassuringly after Hebert and Byron Parker were held out of drills Tuesday. “You’ve got to be to learn all those positions -- it’s more than being a great athlete, but he is that too...he’s a sharp man.“Eastern Semi-Final Playoff CentreThe 2013 Eastern Semi-Final matchup is set as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats host the Montreal Alouettes. Here is everything you need to know ahead of Sunday's game.Click here to view pageBrouillette, 27, is also thankful for his latest opportunity. One year ago he was carried off the Olympic Stadium turf on a stretcher after a neck injury in the Eastern Final.“It’s been kind of a wild ride, you know?” the Montreal-native and third round pick of 2010 says with a smile. “You go from laying on the field staring at the roof of the Olympic Stadium wondering what’s next and to be here today and have a chance to be a few wins away from the Grey Cup...it’s phenomenal.”“I’ve had a lot of people in my corner,” the former Universite’ de Montreal Carabins quarterback says. “They’ve supported me and been along for the ride even throughout the tough times we’ve had this season.”“We watched him a lot in college, but he really jumped out once he started testing,” reveals Popp. “We started toying around with him maybe even as a receiver first.”“Especially guys in the locker-room -- we’ve had eachother’s backs,” says August’s CFL Outstanding Canadian of the Month. “To be going to Guelph in the playoffs is something we’re proud of.”If Brouillette wants to build on a legal precedent set by the 3 Stooges, Winston Venable could also be a partner in his on-field firm of “Dewey Hitem&Howe”. The son of a former Montreal Expos outfielder (Max Venable graced the Olympic Stadium turf in 1984), Winston is only 5’11 but a stocky 220 with a fearless streak. The former property of the Chicago Bears in 2011 has also had to do some learning on the fly. NFL scouts wanted him to convert to safety. He signed as a free agent the lockout year and so couldn’t get early access to the playbook for off-field study.With the Als, he’s well-suited for linebacker duty and special teams chores. “I played a lot on teams in Chicago and I think that’s helped me here.”“It would be awesome opportunity to play in a playoff game,” says the 26-year old Boise State alum. “If we have players down, people have to step up. If you can be versatile, that’s going to help you get on the field. We have WIL linebackers who can play safety and safeties who can play at the WIL. Everybody can just be interchangeable. ” Related Links Moffat: Parker finds his voice with Als As efficient as Billy Parker has been in his five years in the CFL, he's never once earned a CFL All-Star nod. That all changed yesterday, however. Alouettes Putting Trust in Troy Popp Offers Update on Alouettes Three years before Winston was born, his father was a teammate of the infamous “Charlie Hustle” Pete Rose who surpassed the 4,000-hit mark. The hits have been much slower in coming for the next generation Venable.He joined the Als’ practice roster in 2012, but waited a full calendar year before getting his first defensive and special teams tackles in the CFL, his 10 total tackles for 2013 all coming since the beginning of October.“Dad was actually able to come watch me play a game and it was exciting for him to be back in Montreal,” says Winston, whose older brother Will followed in Dad’s Major League footsteps and is a 6-year veteran of the San Diego Padres.“Maybe I feel a little connection there with my Dad having been here; he visited he a few things that were familiar to him, but mostly they weren’t (familiar). “What a lot of people don’t know is that my Dad was a pretty big high school football player and that’s where I get a little bit of the football in me. My Mom even swam in college, so yeah I just come from a sports family.”Winston claims he was pretty good on the ballfield at the high school level, but enjoyed the physicality of football all the more.“You’re not really hitting anything but a ball in baseball, but in football you get to hit everybody.”“Last week he played corner for us,” points out Popp. “I try to find, our scouts try to find people who can do a lot of different things.”The Als on defence are anything if not versatile: Second in QB sacks,Cheap NFL Jerseys, second in picks, no. 1 in fewest yards and no. 1 in fewest first downs.As “Maitre Brouillette” might say in court -- “No further evidence, your Honour.”