Dominic Picard (born June 22, 1982) is a former Canadian football centre who played for four different teams over an 11-year career in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played in 151 regular season CFL games and 11 post-season games and was a member of the 101st Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders.[1] He was also named a CFL East All-Star in 2011. He played CIS Football at Laval. Picard is currently the head coach with the Élans at the Cégep Garneau, a Division 1 CEGEP program in the RSEQ.
![]() Picard with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2015 | |
Personal information | |
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Born: | (1982-06-22) June 22, 1982 (age 40) Sainte-Foy, Quebec |
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) |
Career information | |
University: | Laval |
Position: | Centre |
CFL Draft: | 2006 / Round: 3 / Pick: 23 |
Career history | |
As a player: | |
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
As a coach: | |
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CFL status: | National |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Player stats at CFL.ca (archive) | |
Séminaire St-François High School (2016-2019)[2] [3] When Picard retired, he joined the Séminaire St-François Blizzard in Quebec City, where he played High School football, from 1994 to 1998. He was in charge of the Football Program as well as Offensive Line coach. He contributed to the team's success with their two Championships (2016–2017) where the Blizzard had the leading rusher for two straight years. He then became the Offensive Coordinator in 2018 where the team went for its 3 third Championship contest, where they ended short by a score of 38–32 game when they led the game 20–9 at half-time vs Collège Jean-Eudes. The team averaged 35 points per game that year. In February 2019, he became the Head Coach where his team finished with a 8–1 season and a 1–1 record in the playoffs. He has been doing double duties that year as he was also the Offensive Coordinator as he was in charge of one of the top offenses in the league. While he was in charge of the program and being the Offensive Coordinator, he also coached at the CEGEP level in 2018, at the Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy where he was the co-Offensive Coordinator/Run Game Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach.
CEGEP St-Jean-sur-Richelieu Géants (2020)[4] Picard joined the organization of the Géants in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, on February 11th 2020 as being the Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach, which made him the 2nd full time coach in the program. Unfortunately the team has never played a game as Covid restrictions were the cause. Picard resigned on November 15th with the organization as he was offered a promotion as being the Head Coach of the Garneau Élans in his hometown, Québec City.
CEGEP Garneau Élans (2020-Present)[5] Picard became the 5th Head Coach of Cégep Garneau on November 16th 2020, the oldest program in Quebec City as 1999 was when the club was created. He also came back home to Quebec City, where Picard was borned and raised. He took over a team that did not play in 2020 due to Covid restrictions in the RSEQ. The Team finished with a 4-4 record in 2021 and made it to the Semi-Final vs Vanier College, the Bowl d'Or winner (RSEQ Championship).
Université Laval Rouge & Or (2002-2005) Picard played four seasons for the Laval Rouge et Or (2002–2005) where he won two Vanier Cups (2003–04). During his 44 starts, Picard won the J. P. Metras Trophy in 2005, which is awarded to the top lineman in the country. He was named an All-Canadian in 2004 and 2005 and rookie of the year in the Quebec Conference in 2002. He had cancer during the 2004 season, during which he missed two playoffs games, and then made a remarkable comeback in the 2005 Season where he won the top Lineman in the Country. He earned a Phys. Ed Degree and he started an MBA his last year of play at university.[citation needed]
Picard was drafted 23rd overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2006 CFL Draft and played with the club for three seasons. He started the Grey Cup in 2007 where he was leading an offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks in the CFL. He was working with Bob Wylie who had coached for more than 20 years in the National Football League.
Picard then joined the Toronto Argonauts in 2009 as a top free agent and spent three seasons with the club where he has never missed a game with the organization, including his selection as the top lineman of the Argos and first Eastern All-Star award in 2011.
Picard tested free agency for a second time in his professional career and signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on February 16, 2012. Picard was selected as the top lineman for the Riders in 2012 and 2014 as well as top Canadian of the team in 2012. He won his first Grey Cup championship with the Roughriders in the 2013. After the end of the 2013 season, Picard signed a contract extension with the Roughriders through the 2015 season.[6] However, the Roughriders released him on January 5, 2015.[7]
On the same day that he was released by the Roughriders, and Picard signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, returning to the team that drafted him.[7] He was reunited with Bob Wylie once again, a coach that coached Picard in the early stage of his career back in Winnipeg. After one season, Picard was released by the Blue Bombers on December 30, 2015.
As a free agent, Picard signed with the Montreal Alouettes on January 19, 2016.[8] However, he did not play a regular season game for the team as he announced his retirement June 3, 2016.[9]
Saskatchewan Roughriders 101st Grey Cup champions | |
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