EDMONTON – By returning a missed field goal 125 yards for a touchdown in Saturday’s win over the Elks in Edmonton, James Letcher Jr. lived up to the nickname given to him by Alouettes special teams coach Byron Archambault : the “human joystick”.
“I love that nickname, I definitely adopted it,” Letcher Jr. agreed with a laugh.
“It’s the ‘human joystick,’ it’s like playing Madden when it’s on the field,” Archambault explained briefly, referring to EA Sports’ iconic soccer game. He is someone who knows how to keep the game alive. Letcher has the ability to make opponents miss a lot of tackles and he absorbs contact.
A Chiefs fan
The 24-year-old Letcher Jr. is originally from Kansas City and is the Alouettes’ punt return specialist following an injury to Chandler Worthy. If he were to play football on a gaming console himself, in most cases he would choose the Chiefs as his team.
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“We’ve had difficult years as fans in Kansas City, but things have been going well for a few years now,” he smiled, recalling the Super Bowl victories in 2020 and 2023.
With the Alouettes, Letcher Jr. dreams of winning a championship himself.
“The work is not finished yet, we will take advantage of a week off and get back to work,” said the American.
Decisive touchdown
It was precisely thanks to the efforts in practice that Letcher Jr. and his teammates scored a spectacular touchdown against the Elks shortly before the end of the first half on Saturday, giving the Alouettes a 26:21 lead.
“We’ve put a lot of emphasis on it in the last few weeks because it’s a game-changing game,” Archambault noted. At the end of such a half, the yards accumulated are useless, but the touchdown is crucial. It can break the legs of the opposing team.”
“The guys were able to block and Letcher was able to find the space he needed, the execution was perfect,” the special teams coach added.
Letcher Jr. also paid tribute to his colleagues.
“I’m happy for myself, but I’m also happy for my teammates,” he said. We work together every day.”