E-Camp: Bruno Lapointe, Buffalo Bull

He hails from Sainte-Justine, Quebec, a small village (population: 1,800) that is also the hometown and setting of the well-known Canadian short story “The Hockey Sweater” by Roch Carrier.

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“Football is my passion but doing work in the community helps me to understand that that is not the only thing that matters. It helps put my life in perspective.”

Yet Bruno Lapointe’s sport of choice has always been football.

“I have played football for as long as I can remember,” says the 6’5” 240 lbs. defensive end from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo who will attend this year’s CFL E-Camp. “It has always been my passion since I was about 11 years old.”

Lapointe acknowledges two role models who helped mould his football career: one was fellow Quebecker Steve Charbonneau (Cowansville, Quebec) who spent 11 years as a defensive tackle in the CFL with Montreal and Edmonton. The other was Joe Montford, a five-time CFL all-star who played with four teams but is best remembered for his years with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. “I grew up liking Charbonneau when he played for the Als and I admired the way he played,” says Lapointe. “I saw a documentary on Joe Montford and it was the same thing. I liked their toughness, their training and their attitudes. They both really motivated me.”

Lapointe also played basketball and football in high school and competed in hurdles and shot put in two provincial track and field championships.

After Grade 11, he played CGEP football in Quebec and sent out tapes and highlights to a number of potential universities before he was offered a scholarship to University at Buffalo or UB as it is commonly known. “The scholarship was great but I also knew a few guys who went there and I liked the campus,” says Lapointe. “So I decided to attend the American university.”

“It’s definitely more physical than CGEP,” Lapointe adds. “The field is not as wide so you can’t run around people as much. I would say the overall physicality of the game is the biggest difference.”

Despite shoulder surgeries in both 2007 and 2008, he started all 12 games last year for the Bulls. In 2008 UB won the MAC (Mid-American Conference) Championship against undefeated #12-ranked Ball State. “It was awesome,” says Lapointe. “Without question that was the highlight of my university career.”

Lapointe has not forgotten his hometown roots. “I think it is important to give back to the community,” he says. “I know I am lucky that I had the chance to go to College and that it was paid for. I also got the chance to play football. A lot of people aren’t as fortunate. It makes me want to give something back to those that aren’t as lucky.”

With that philosophy in mind, Lapointe spends a lot of his spare time working with young offenders and intellectually impaired young adults.

“It is extremely satisfying,” says the English major who graduated this past year. “Football is my passion but doing work in the community helps me to understand that that is not the only thing that matters. It helps put my life in perspective.”

Lapointe is excited about the E-Camp opportunity. “I’ve got a sore groin but will do the best I can at the testing,” he says. “It’s more important I believe to meet the teams and see what role I might have to help them. I know I will do the best I can.”

“My number one strength on the field would be my attitude,” says Lapointe who is also considering a career as a policeman. “I’m not specialized in any one category but am pretty well-rounded in all categories. I try to be relentless when I play. That’s what got me on the field at Buffalo.”

“He will do everything he can to get to the football,” says Brian Mohnsen, his Defensive Line Coach at UB. “He will know eveything about the defensive scheme and will do an outstanding job of studying and knowing the opponent’s tendencies.”

Source: CFL.ca