Off the ice with… Benjamin St-Juste

MONTREAL – In a league where the average length of an NFL career is short and where the number of Quebecers can be counted on one’s fingers, Benjamin St-Juste stands out as an exception.  

Ahead of his sixth NFL season, the Montrealer continues to beat the odds. During a recent visit to the Bell Centre, the Green Bay Packers cornerback spoke about his relationship with hockey, his new beginning in Wisconsin, and the type of role model he tries to be for young footballers in Quebec. 

Please note that questions and answers have been modified for clarity and conciseness.  

First and foremost, since we’re at the Bell Centre, we have to ask: are you a Habs fan? 

I’ve always been a hockey fan. It was the first sport I played when I was a kid. I continued to play for many years, until the age of 14, when I started taking football more seriously. Every time the Canadiens were in the playoffs, be it in the days of P.K. [Subban], [Alexei] Kovalev, [Saku] Koivu, [Carey] Price, or even more recently when they went to the final... I watched all those playoffs. And this year, they’re having a great season, and I’m cheering them on from afar. It’s great to see.

Are there any players you like to watch play in particular?  

[Ivan] Demidov, [Nick] Suzuki and Cole Caufield, who’s having an incredible year. They always score nice goals and are a part of the highlights that I see on social media... It’s great to watch these guys play. 

The Canadiens are participating in the playoffs for a second year in a row. What comes to mind when you think of the playoffs? Any significant memories?  

P.K. scoring on a breakaway against Boston has remained etched in my mind. There’s also the series against the Flyers that I remember. They would win a game, then we would win one. It was a great series. I’m not old enough to have lived through the glory years of all our Stanley Cup wins, but there's a nice tradition of Habs fandom in my family. My grandmother would watch games at the Forum and my mom would go to the Bell Centre [previously named the Molson Centre at the time] when it had just opened.  

On your end, it’s the offseason in the NFL. What does your day-to-day look like right now?  

We have a three-month break. I use this time to be with my family and my daughter, but also to restore my body. An NFL season is very physical, so I try to use this time to take care of minor injuries. On a daily basis, I work out very early in the morning, followed by rehabilitation or treatment, and then I spend time with my family. After that, I work on some other things, like my foundation and upcoming events in Montreal this summer. So even during the offseason, I’m very busy.  

This offseason is unique, since you signed with the Packers. How do you view this change of scenery?  

I think it’s going to be a nice transition. They have a solid team that wins a lot, and like the Canadiens, it’s an historic organization. They have the most Super Bowl championships in NFL history, like the Habs in the NHL. The team has a great community and family spirit. I’m excited to play with a group like that and to be able to have an impact once I get there.

You’re the only Quebecer on the Packers, and in total, there are only three in the NFL right now. In hockey, that reality is completely different. Your foundation, l’Originale, aims to develop football here. Why was it important for you to be involved in this regard? 

Like you said, we’re maybe two or three Quebecers in the NFL. The goal is to have a lot more. I know we have a lot of young, local football players who are very talented. Our events and football camps provide motivation and visibility for these kids, which gives them the hope necessary to attain a high level. The ultimate goal is for a kid to show up to one of these foundation events and is proud to say: “If I reach the highest level, I will grab the torch and organize my own events or foundation to give back to my community.”   

In the same vein, you’ve been a role model for kids. In the past, you’ve been vocal about mental health in sport. Today, do you think things are improving? Are you optimistic for future generations? 

Yes, absolutely. I think there’s been an important change in many professional leagues, be it the NHL, NBA or NFL, where mental health has become a priority issue. In the past, we’d wait for players to finish their careers to learn about the mental damage caused by a very physical and demanding career that requires a lot of sacrifices. Today, each NFL team has many specialists and psychologists who help us go through challenges in our careers. I think it helps us a lot; so many fans see the highlights and good moments, but there are a lot of sacrifices that we need to make to perform under the spotlight every Sunday on the football field or each day on the ice.  

As you said, the Packers, like the Canadiens, are a storied franchise with a lot of history. Do you see any similarities, playing in a market that’s so rich in tradition? 

I think this type of environment forces you to maintain a standard of excellence. Anything less than a participation in the Stanley Cup or Super Bowl playoffs is seen as an unproductive season or one that didn’t meet expectations. So, to be on a team like that gives me a ton of motivation to maintain thatstandard every day. It motivates me to keep working, to put in the effort, and to contribute to history. In the end, it’s nice to reach personal goals, but as a player, your career objective is to win a championship, whether that’s a Stanley Cup or a Super Bowl.