After stepping away from professional football six months ago, Marc-Antoine Dequoy has made a surprising return to competitive football. The 31-year-old safety from Montreal Alouettes announced his retirement from the CFL in February after five seasons. However, Dequoy is now in Duesseldorf, Germany, with the Canadian men’s team for the IFAF world flag football championship.
Dequoy cited physical exhaustion as the reason for his CFL retirement, acknowledging that his body couldn’t handle the demanding schedule of 18 games in a season. Despite initially being hesitant about flag football, Dequoy eventually decided to give it a try after discussing it with friends and conducting some research.
Taking a break from football, Dequoy co-hosted a television show called “Avec ou Sans Cash” from March to May, exploring different cities across the globe. However, as the show was wrapping up, Dequoy felt a void that only competition could fill, prompting his return to the field.
Having been a CFL all-star twice and winning a Grey Cup in 2023, Dequoy now faces a new challenge in flag football, where the rules and playing style differ significantly. Adjusting to the non-contact nature of the game and mastering the art of grabbing opponents’ flags has been a learning curve for him.
Canada’s flag football team had its competition schedule altered when Nigeria withdrew due to visa issues, resulting in Canada playing fewer preliminary-round games. The top finishers in the tournament will secure spots in the Olympics, with a strong focus on Olympic qualification among the participating teams.
Dequoy expressed his excitement at the prospect of Olympic qualification through flag football, a sport that brings him closer to the pinnacle of athletic achievement. While the world championship serves as an Olympic qualifier, failing to secure a spot in Germany would mean participating in subsequent events to earn a chance at the Olympics.