J.P. Bekasiak announces retirement

Montreal, January 11, 2013 - Alouettes defensive tackle J.P. Bekasiak announced his retirement on Friday after six seasons in the Canadian Football League, including the last four with Montreal.

Bekasiak, a native of Edmonton, AB played in a combined 61 games with the Alouettes and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats between between 2007 and 2012, recording 47 defensive tackles and five sacks over that span.

Last season, the 6-foot-6, 300-pounder scored his first CFL touchdown in Week 2, when quarterback Adrian McPherson located the defensive tackle in the end zone against Winnipeg on a third down gamble.

"We celebrate JP's career today. He has been a tremendous role model on and off the field for our organization," said Alouettes General Manager Jim Popp. "JP will be missed and we have a big hole to fill. We wish him the best in his future endeavors and he will always be two-time Grey Cup Alouettes Champion. We thank JP for his role in helping our organization remain leaders in our community."

With Montreal, the 31-year-old recorded 42 defensive tackles in 19 starts, winning back-to-back Grey Cup championships in 2009 and in 2010.

Bekasiak was sidelined for the majority of the 2012 season, suiting up for just six games. In Week 5 he suffered a knee injury with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter at home against Toronto and then suffered a torn pectoral muscle at B.C. in Week 11 causing him to miss the remainder of the CFL season, including the East Division Final at Olympic Stadium. Bekasiak joined the Alouettes in 2009 as a free agent after being drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with the fourth overall pick in the 2007 CFL Canadian Draft. He played his college football with the Toledo Rockets in the NCAA.