Cornerback Lorenzo Burns brings winning pedigree to Montreal Alouettes secondary

There’s plenty for cornerback Lorenzo Burns and the Montreal Alouettes to be happy about these days.

After enduring a five-game losing streak, Montreal (8-7) has won three straight to move within two points of the first-place Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9-6) in the East Division.

What’s more, starting quarterback Davis Alexander has returned, passing for 350 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 38-20 victory over the Calgary Stampeders.

Alexander, 26, missed eight straight games with a hamstring injury and Montreal was 3-7 this season without him. But last week Alexander improved to 9-0 as a CFL starter, setting a league record for most wins to start a career with the Alouettes now on a bye.

“It’s a great thing to get Davis back, he has that fire and that drive,” Burns said. “But he’s been around the whole time.

“He’s been talking to everybody, he’s been keeping the fire going on the sideline, he’s been travelling to road games and been keeping us motivated. Having him back is a big thing.”

Montreal must pass Hamilton for top spot. The Ticats won the season series and thus the tiebreaker.

“We’ve got to focus on what’s in front of us and that’s Ottawa back to back (Oct. 13 and Oct. 18) and then Winnipeg (on Oct. 25),” Burns said. “We can’t worry about something later if we don’t handle the business that’s right in front of us.”

Burns, a 27-year-old Californian, signed with Montreal on Sept. 9, 2024, and appeared in five regular-season games, registering 17 tackles and one special-teams tackle. This year, with the benefit of a full off-season and training camp, Burns has played 13 contests, accumulating 58 tackles, three special-teams tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

“Last year, I came off a season in the spring (with UFL-champion Birmingham Stallions) and my body was pretty worn down,” Burns said. “The Canadian game wasn’t that hard to get adjusted to but the reason why it looks so much different for me this year is because physically I feel much better.”

Burns also has familiarity with Montreal defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe. They won a ’22 USFL championship with Birmingham.

“He’s so creative,” Bruns said. “He’s like a painter, when he’s working you’re trying to understand what the final product might look like.

“But when he’s done you’re like, ‘OK, I see what you’re talking about.’ I love playing in his defence, he always has a great defensive plan.”

Burns joined the Alouettes with a definite winning pedigree, having played on three straight Stallions championship squads (USFL titles in 2022 and ’23, ’24 UFL crown). Birmingham’s secondary coach/defensive coordinator is Corey Chamblin, who was Saskatchewan’s head coach when the Roughriders won the ’13 Grey Cup.

“It’s funny because he was showing us film of the year they went to the Grey Cup and it was snowing, I mean pouring down snow,” Burns chuckled. “And I thought to myself, ‘I’d never go up there and play in the snow, I couldn’t do it.’

“I had a conversation with him about coming here and all he said was, ‘Just do what you do, get adjusted to the rules. The game will be the game, you’ll get adjusted to that fast. Just do what you do and you’ll be fine.’ That’s always stuck with me.”

Chamblin has an extensive CFL coaching background. He served as an assistant with Winnipeg (2007), Calgary (2008-10), Hamilton (2011) and Toronto (2017, winning another Grey Cup) and was also the Argos head coach (2019).

“What Zo’s doing is who Zo is,” Chamblin said. “He’s going to attack everything like a bulldog, he doesn’t know any other way but one way.

“They (Alouettes) have a good one who’s going to give them stability in their back end. In the playoffs, his experience will show. He has experienced big games so he understands how to thrive and excel in them. He’s not going to have butterflies, he’s not overthinking it. He’s out there with one purpose, to literally be the best on every play.”

Kenny Kim of Summit Athletes, Burns’ Florida-based agent, agrees.

“Lorenzo is a shutdown corner who has consistently demonstrated elite-level performance,” Kim said. “He’s a humble guy who goes about his business.

“Lorenzo definitely has a very high ceiling and I’m confident his abilities will continue to grow and mature.”

Its been quite the football odyssey for Burns.

After playing at the University of Arizona (2016-20), Burns joined the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals as a ’21 undrafted free agent. He was also with Jacksonville (2021) and Cleveland (2023) and had the stints with Birmingham before signing with Montreal.

“I’d be lying if I said I’ve never looked back at my journey and said, ‘Wow, it’s been a wild ride,'” Burns said. “The biggest takeaway is it’s a blessing to get the opportunity to experience all of these different atmospheres and environments.

“But to be honest, any player up here has had similar experiences to mine. You’ve got to be resilient no matter where you go on this football journey, that’s definitely key.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2025.