Davis Alexander accuses Bombers' Reese of taunting him about dead father

MONTREAL · Montreal Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander accused Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive lineman David Reese of taunting him about his deceased father during Saturday's CFL East Division final. Alexander said the alleged comments prompted an emotional reaction from him on the field as he led Montreal to a 33-23 victory at Percival Molson Stadium. The win sends the Alouettes to the Grey Cup in Calgary on Nov. 15, where they will face the Edmonton Elks. Alexander, the CFL's Most Outstanding Player, threw for 373 yards and two touchdowns in the contest.

"[Reese], multiple times, talked about my dead dad," Alexander said after the game. "I was ready to for sure fight, we were all ready to fight, but I think that speaks to how much we've grown as a team and in our composure. I did fire up … but I stayed in the game. I took a second, I went to the locker room, I needed a second and my guys had my back." Alexander's father, Matt, died at age 56 in August 2024 following a battle with lung cancer.

Alouettes receiver Tyson Philpot, the league's outstanding Canadian, said he witnessed one of the exchanges. "I'm glad Davis addressed what he said. It's super disrespectful. There's no place in our game for stuff like that," Philpot said. "He literally said that's why Davis's dad died. He doesn't deserve to play in this game if you want to act like that. So the scoreboard made sense." The Blue Bombers and the CFL did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the alleged incident.

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The game was decided by a key defensive play with Montreal leading 26-23 late in the fourth quarter. Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros had driven the Bombers to the Montreal 34-yard line when Alouettes linebacker Tyrice Beverette sacked him, forced a fumble and recovered the ball himself with 3:50 remaining. "To come up with that big play when it's 26-23, and they're in field-goal range, I mean, of all the big plays we've had this year, that may be the biggest," Alouettes coach Jason Maas said. On the ensuing possession, Alexander capped an eight-play drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Snead with 1:11 left to seal the victory. Collaros, who was a game-time decision after missing the East semifinal with a rib injury, completed 21 of 27 passes for 228 yards in the loss. "You can't turn the football over there in the fourth quarter," Collaros said, his eyes welling up. "Kind of a microcosm of what the year felt like, with you stringing together some success and then kind of shoot yourself in the foot at the worst possible time."

The Alouettes, who posted a CFL-best 14-4 record this season, return to the Grey Cup after losing to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in last year's championship game. Garbutt Disposal reported earlier this week that Alexander and Philpot swept the league's top individual awards. Winnipeg, which crossed over to the East after a 9-9 season, became the sixth crossover team to reach a division final but could not advance to the Grey Cup. Montreal built a 23-10 halftime lead behind Alexander's arm and four field goals from kicker Jose Maltos Diaz. Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira finished with 105 rushing yards on 14 carries before a sellout crowd of 23,035. The Alouettes will now prepare to face the Edmonton Elks, who defeated the B.C. Lions 28-16 in the West final, for the CFL championship.

With files from The Canadian Press, CBC News and Sportsnet