INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Butler football player Matt Shiltz was able to continue his playing career after signing a contract with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Shiltz recently took time to answer some questions about his first season in the CFL. Enjoy!
 
Walk us through this CFL opportunity and the process of joining the Alouettes.
I was working for Ernst & Young in Indianapolis when my agent called me in the middle of busy season (right around March). He told me that my name was brought up in conversation with management of the Alouettes and that they wanted to see me work out in Florida. One thing led to another and I chose to seize the opportunity and let the process shake out. Montreal ended up signing me and I haven't looked back. I am truly grateful for this opportunity.
 
How was the training camp experience?
The camp experience was incredible. With it being my first professional football training camp I didn't necessarily know what to expect. Fortunately, I was able to get a lot of reps in during the three-day rookie minicamp before the full training camp started. This allowed me to learn the offense both in the classroom, as well as getting the valuable physical reps at practice. On top of that our quarterbacks coach, Anthony Calvillo, is a CFL-Hall of Famer and has incredible knowledge of the game of football. Learning from him was invaluable during camp, and he continues to be a great teacher throughout the season.

In addition, having veteran quarterbacks in the meeting rooms and on the practice field enables us to talk about our reads and how we may see things differently. I see this as a huge benefit to my development as I'm able to learn different perspectives as to how I read the field and how it will impact my decision making ability.
 
What are your impressions of the city of Montreal and the culture there?
The city is incredible. There are so many different things to do and see. There is a lot of history in Montreal and a lot of beautiful architecture. The people here and culture in general is very warm and embracing. Montreal is in Quebec, so it is predominantly a French speaking City/Provence, so that has been a fun challenge in terms of trying to learn a new language. With that said, the fans are great and very welcoming. Its' been a great pleasure playing in this city for the Als.
 
How did Butler University and playing football for the Bulldogs prepare you for this opportunity?
Butler prepared me for this opportunity in more ways than I can probably describe in this response. Throughout my time at Butler, I learned the values of hard work, leadership, persistence, dedication, preparation, belief and faith. All in terms of football and in life. Throughout my time in high school, and then at Butler, I was always competing for a starting position on the team. This constant pressure to prove myself forced me to perform at my best every single day, because I knew that nothing was going to be handed to me. Nothing changed when I got to the professional level. I knew that I would have to consistently perform and work even harder than the guy next to me in order to compete at an elite level. Playing at Butler definitely put a chip on my shoulder. Although it is a Division 1 program that has tons of talent on the roster, and in the conference, it can still be viewed by some in a negative light being in the FCS. It might sound cliché, but playing at Butler gave me an under "dawg" mentality. I go out every day to prove the nay-sayers wrong, and to show the people that believed in me that they were right. Perseverance and hard work does pay off.
 
What are your goals for the remainder of the season?
I'll continue to do whatever I can to help the team win week in and week out. Although I am not necessarily in a starting role, I want to do whatever I can to contribute to our team's success. With that, I want to continue to train and develop both physically and mentally to become the best player possible. I am a competitor; I want to play, and I want to win a Grey Cup!
 
The Alouettes are approaching the midway point of the 2017 season. Their next contest will be played on Friday, Aug. 11 against the Toronto Argonauts. The 105th Grey Cup is slated for Sunday, Nov. 26.