(Atlanta) Matthew Bergeron has everything going for him. A promising career, a comfortable lifestyle and a new family. Even if for him, home will always remain between routes 116 and 122.
The offensive lineman was 2,000 kilometers from his family cocoon in Victoriaville on Thursday when La Presse went to meet him at the Atlanta Falcons training center.
The said center is located in Flowery Branch, 45 minutes north of downtown Atlanta. Because yes, the team trains in the suburbs. But according to Travis, a taxi driver who prefers to be called DJ Trav, this neighborhood is still part of the city of Atlanta, he explained while the two giant pink foam dice hung from his rearview mirror. They clashed like the balls of a Newton pendulum.
The road to get there was lined with mature trees with generous foliage. The green had not yet wintered, like in Quebec.
The day was relatively cold for the season in Georgia. The thermometer read 18°C and the sky was salt and pepper. It rarely gets this chilly this time of year. The wind also picked up, enough for local journalists to cover themselves in several layers.
Matthew Bergeron, accompanied by his teammate Ryan Neuzil, was among the first to hit the field. Quietly, helmet in hand, he walked between the two training fields, from one touchdown zone to the other, to carry his equipment to the end before stretching.
Receiver Drake London followed. He is the first player to have touched the balloons.
The Falcons practice ended after two hours. No one was able to testify to this, because access to members of the media is prohibited to avoid any leak of information.
The atmosphere in the locker room is crazy. As if the team was sailing on an uninterrupted streak of five victories. In this huge room with a gray carpet dominated by a gigantic team logo, players have fun shooting three-pointers into the basketball hoop installed in the center of the room. Some compete against the ping-pong net, while others, like Matthew Bergeron, sit in front of his locker at the back of the locker room, scanning their cell phone.
Still dressed in his NFL logo training jersey and hat, Bergeron explains how exciting, but almost unreal, his new life is.
“I’ve been here since May and I’ve recently started to get used to it. But in the NFL, you have to enjoy every moment, because you never know when it might end. Nothing should be taken for granted. There are veterans who have seen guys arrive and leave so quickly. But for the moment, I’m living the dream”, underlines the Quebecer, standing back, to avoid receiving a smash in the neck.
Bergeron lives near the training center, about an hour from downtown, in a quiet neighborhood. “Atlanta is too much traffic for me. I don’t have enough patience for that! » You only need to cross a seven-lane highway twice in the same afternoon to understand this.
In the middle of his sentence, three of his teammates come to disrupt the interview. One of them says: “Come on, he’s talking stupid things in French! », to tease the rookie player, who rarely, if ever, speaks in his native language in the locker room.
But Bergeron does not let this distract him and goes on to praise the excitement of his adopted city: “Atlanta is a beautiful city. I went to a Drake concert and it was really fun. There is a lot of culture, a lot of diversity. The food is great. »
Among his favorites, the 23-year-old cites the Atlanta Aquarium – “it’s really beautiful; If you have time, you have to go there” – as well as the Martin Luther King historic site, because “it’s worth it”.
“Next to the stadium, there are lots of small museums,” he adds, “it’s really fun! »
Although he loves his new surroundings, the 38th overall pick in the last NFL draft admits that being away from his family members is arguably the most difficult aspect to deal with.
At least, more than when he played at Thetford Mines CEGEP or at Syracuse University, in the NCAA. “Syracuse was closer to home, just a five-hour drive. There, I’m really far away from everyone. I left straight after high school to go to CEGEP, so I’m used to it, but I’m not used to being so far away, a 20-hour drive. There comes an age where you have to leave the family nest, but I would like my family to be there more often. »
Fortunately, the number of direct flights between Montreal and Atlanta makes it easy for loved ones to come visit.
For example, the whole family provided arm juice to help him move this summer. Everyone also attended their first NFL game, against the Carolina Panthers at home. And some of his friends came to see him win against Houston a few days ago.
But his life quickly turned into an hourglass, because time never stops passing, and as soon as he thinks he finally has a little respite, he has to restart the machine. In short, the offensive lineman has no time to be bored.
The interview concluded by talking about the success of the University of Georgia Bulldogs and the abundance of sports offerings in Atlanta.
But even though he’s not the face of his team like rookie Bijan Robinson, for example, Bergeron’s neighborhood neighbors are beginning to suspect that the 6’5″, 323 lb. young man isn’t playing a ordinary profession.
“But I don’t really get hung up in the street,” he says.
In Quebec, however, he has the potential to be the model for an entire generation. And Sunday’s match, when two Quebecers will be in the starting lineup, could go down in history for La Belle Province.
“It will be a great moment for Quebec football,” adds Bergeron.
The tall guy with the awkward smile returned to his seat at locker number 65, his face focused on his cell phone. Probably to respond to his messages or to ignore the antics of his teammates asking him for French lessons.
One thing is certain. Bergeron knows that he can count on a family, whoever they are, wherever they are.
