2024 CFL Draft profiles: Concordia LB Zach Philion following in footsteps of ‘Quarterback Killer’ father

Most of us spend our lives trying to live up to a surname, building a legacy that honours our ancestors and makes the next generation proud. For football players, that obligation is strapped to their backs for all to see.

Not all nameplates carry the same weight, however. For those with gridiron lineage, the burden of excellence is a little heavier. And for a select few, there is more than one type of name carrying expectations.

That’s the case when you happen to be the son of ‘The Quarterback Killer.’ Since he was a child, linebacker Zach Philion longed to follow in his father’s footsteps but faced the challenge of living up to a reputation known as much for nastiness as peak athletic performance.

“I guess people expect that out of me but I think I’m used to it by now. I’m 25 years old, it’s been like that in anything that I’ve done my entire life,” Philion said in an interview with 3DownNation last month.

“I did have some weight on my shoulders, people knew who I was.  It wasn’t always easy when you’re a young kid because you don’t understand it quite yet but as you grow into it, you start getting used to it. It’s just part of life.”

For much of his 13-year professional career, Ed Philion was larger than life. A collegiate standout at tiny Ferris State, he became a first-round CFL Draft pick in 1994 and bounced around the NFL for several seasons before landing with the Montreal Alouettes in 1999.

For the next eight seasons, he was the bane of passers across Canada. Earning four East Division all-star nods at defensive tackle, he racked up 37 career sacks and left a mark each time. Beloved in Montreal, sentiments among opponents were considerably less favourable towards a player who often pushed the limits of sporting ethics and good taste with his on-field actions.

“He was just a dog,” Zach said of his father’s playing style. “He was probably one of the most intense guys out there, got a few penalties each game but it comes with the territory. He didn’t take crap from nobody, he always stuck his nose in people’s faces in that trench.”

Growing up in that shadow, Zach earned his own nickname, ‘Bones’, but it had nothing to do with his performance between the white lines. An exceptionally skinny kid, at least by the standards of his own family, it was abundantly clear that he would never gain the bulk to mix things up with his hand in the dirt like his dad once did.

Instead, he played receiver and defensive back through much of his time in high school and CEGEP, even suiting up at strong safety in his lone junior college season for New Mexico Military Institute. When he returned to Canada, he moved tighter into the box as a linebacker and has stayed there ever since, exhibiting the reverse of his father’s skill set.

“Our games are a little different. I’m more of a finesse, athletic type of guy whereas he’s gonna bury you into the ground,” Philion explained. “But I’ve definitely got that dog in me too, so I try to show that as much as I can.”

“My athleticism, my grind, my hustle, I never give up on the ball. I could be on the weak side of the field and the play could be on the strong side, but I’ll go and chase you down. I think my film speaks for itself, you can see that on game day.”

Playing a different position than his dad has done nothing to diminish the connection between the pair, however. After stops as a defensive line coach in Toronto, Edmonton, and Saskatchewan, Ed was hired by Concordia in 2019 to be their defensive coordinator and his son followed two years later.

While most children use their university years to spread their wings and get away from parental influences, Zach desired something very different.

“I wanted to go pro and I wanted to learn from someone who I look up to,” he explained. “He’s my idol and I’ve always gone to him for advice first. When I had the opportunity to get coached by him, I didn’t hesitate.”

It took no time for the younger Philion to make an impact with the Stingers, leading the team in tackles during his first season. The six-foot-one, 221-pound backer has since developed into a three-year starter, racking up 98 career tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, 11 pass breakups, two interceptions, and a forced fumble in 27 U Sports games.

Playing under one of Canada’s meanest-ever defenders wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows though, especially when you’re the one carrying his last name.

“There was a time when we got out of a meeting and my teammates came up to me and checked on me,” Philion recalled. “I’m looking at them like, ‘What are you guys talking about?’ They said, ‘You got ripped on pretty hard in there and I hope you’re all good.’ I just laughed; that’s every day for me.”

“He definitely put me in check more than others. He held me to a certain standard and he still, to this day, keeps me at that standard. But then he gives me that phone call later at night and he turns off the coaching hat and he puts on the father hat. ‘Hey, how was your day? How’d you think you did at practice?’ Sometimes you’re like, ‘Who is this dude on the phone right now?'”

Worse than all the hard coaching was the day when it had to end. Following the 2022 season — a disappointing 2-6 campaign — Concordia parted ways with Ed Philion. His son was devastated but had to keep pushing, with the pressure of his draft year looming over.

“It wasn’t an easy situation for me at the time, but I understood it because football is a business,” Zach acknowledged. “At the end of the day, you never know who’s going to coach you next, so I got through that and just played football.”

After a bounce-back 5-3 season that saw the Stingers force overtime against Laval in the playoffs, Philion is poised to hear his name called in the mid-rounds of the 2024 CFL Draft. As expected, his father has once again been the focus of conversation, with scouts and coaches sharing their stories from back in the day.

For his part, Ed has encouraged his son to continue building a reputation of his own. There is no need to be the next ‘Quarterback Killer’ when you can be the first of something else.

“You don’t gotta change yourself,” Zach said of his dad’s advice. “They’ve already got tape on you and have been studying you for a couple of years now. You don’t gotta go and change your whole aura. Just stay true to you.”

The 2024 CFL Draft is slated for Tuesday, April 30 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.