In 2024, Mendel Joseph became the first Concordia Stinger to be named RSEQ Defensive Player of the Year in 13 years, the last being Calgary Stampeders draft pick Max Caron. The 5’8” halfback had a season to remember, recording four interceptions for 56 yards and a major, along with 21 solo tackles and six pass breakups.
Joseph accomplished the feat in just his second year of U SPORTS eligibility, and will be a key player to watch for a veteran Stingers defence this season. A two-year starter, his competitive mindset has been evident not just at Concordia, but during his entire sporting career.
“When I played sports with my two older brothers, I always wanted to win. I have a confident mindset,” he says adamantly.
“When I’m on the field, I play quick, I play fast. As a defensive back, if the receiver catches a five-yard hook, it’s going to piss me off. Come back at me, right now. Everything that the receiver or the quarterback does, I take it personally. That’s always kept me in charge of my game. I always stay ready for anything. It’s helped me a lot. I don’t want to get beat at anything.”
A native of Montreal borough Anjou, Que., Joseph played minor football with the Sun Youth Hornets. He also competed in basketball, baseball and tennis, and ran track. Regardless of the sport, he was locked in and ready to battle.
His track background in particular, paired perfectly with football. On top of being rangy and dangerous in tracking receivers, he quickly developed a reputation as a dangerous kick and punt returner. In his first year at Concordia specifically, Joseph averaged 15.7 yards per kick return.
“I always want to be the fastest one. I’ve always played all kinds of sports, football, baseball, tennis, anything with a ball I want to compete. Doing all those types of things helped make me an athlete,” he boasts.
“I’ve always been running track. I’d been running track and cross country since primary school. I always wanted to be a returner. I’d been watching football since I was young and the guys who were returning the ball were quick and shifty. I thought, I could do that.”
‘Nothing is going to be given to you’
Before he made a name for himself in U SPORTS, Joseph plied his trade in CEGEP with the Spartiates du Vieux-Montréal.
A breeding ground for top talent in Quebec, CEGEP – also known as Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel, or College of General and Vocational Education – is a unique post-secondary education system found only in Quebec. It’s designed to bridge the gap between high school and university or the workforce.
In the case of Vieux-Montréal, their football program has a vast history of success. Playing in Division 1, they’ve bred numerous student-athletes who’ve gone on to do big things in the sport.
Recent examples include Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Benjamin St-Juste, as well as linebacker Enock Makonzo, who was selected fourth overall in the 2022 CFL Draft. Receiver Malick Meiga, now at Coastal Carolina in the NCAA, also won Penn State’s John Bruno Memorial Award as top special teams player in 2022.
“When you played Vieux-Montréal, you knew your body was going to hurt,” Joseph says.
"You know it’s going to be a dog fight. If you want to win that dog fight, you have to pass through us. Everybody knows Vieux-Montréal in CEGEP and in Montreal. They won five Bowl D’ors in a row at one point.”
Joseph was coached at Vieux-Montréal by Renaldo Sagesse, a former CFL defensive lineman. He had “a big impact” on Joseph as a “guy he had in his corner,” mentoring him on and off the field, while preparing the versatile play maker for the next level.
Opposing quarterbacks shyed away from throwing to Mendel's side of the field in 2024, but the defensive back still nabbed four interceptions in just eight games. Photo: Liam Mahoney/Stingers
Joseph played for the Spartiates for three years, going 8-1 in his second season. He lined up everywhere on defence, playing a hybrid nickel role in the secondary while also returning kicks.
“[Playing CEGEP] helped me a lot, just with my mindset and work ethic and character. Nothing is going to be given to you. You have to fight for everything. I always had a confident mindset, but the structure and competing every day, it taught me how to be a leader. You have to compete every rep, you have to win every rep if you want to get on the field,” he says.
“Playing CEGEP, it gives you time to learn how to play the right way. For me, it gave me more time to find myself, and what type of football player I wanted to be. Running to the ball, making a play, I love it. Halfback is a great position to play if you’re an athlete. You see the game pretty fast.”
‘When you have that feeling you just take it’
Following his CEGEP career, Joseph went all-in with the Stingers, believing in the direction the program was going, and confident in their ability to compete against city rival Montreal and fellow powerhouse Laval in the RSEQ.
The Stingers, led by head coach Brad Collinson – a St. Bruno, QC native and team captain during his time as a player for Concordia – made some key additions to their coaching staff in 2023, and it had an impact on Joseph.
Collinson added a bevvy of well-respected, notable coaches in the province, many of whom he had prior history with.
Notably, Paul Eddy Saint-Villen (defensive coordinator), Nicholas Melsbach (linebackers coach), Martin Lapostolle (defensive line coach) and Olivier Fréchette Lemire (defensive backs coach) were brought into the fold on defence.
Saint-Villen – who also goes by Polo – played for Vieux-Montréal, where he was a two-time Bol d’Or champion. He was a defensive assistant for the Ottawa Redblacks and spent four years as the Carleton Ravens’ defensive coordinator. He also served as the OUA university’s interim head coach for several months.
A fellow St. Bruno native, Melsbach also played at Vieux-Montréal (1997-2000) where he was a team captain and two-time Bol d’Or champion. As a coach, he was previously at CEGEP Édouard-Montpetit where he was with the program for ten years, including the last seven as head coach.
“Coach Polo was a great coach who a lot of people know in Montreal too. He coached in the CFL, and he coached my brother at Carleton. My brother was talking to me a little bit about him. I feel like there was something similar with my coach at CEGEP [Renaldo], and they know each other pretty well,” reflects Joseph.
In addition to his prowess on the defensive side of the ball, Joseph served as a backup punt returner for the Stingers in 2024. Photo: Evan Buhler/Provided.
“When I saw that Polo was going to Concordia, I was more interested. I saw a lot of coaches from Vieux-Montréal, like Fréchette, Martin Lapostolle and Nicholas Melsbach were coming to Concordia too. I’d been coached by them at CEGEP. They wanted to do something big at Concordia. When you have a feeling, you just take it. I feel like that was the right move for me.”
Joseph made an immediate impact in his first season at Concordia, learning under the renowned Stingers’ coaching staff, and veterans such as Dawson Pierre, now with the Redblacks.
The Stingers’ Defensive MVP and an RSEQ All-Star with 81 career tackles and three interceptions, the 6’2” Pierre took Joseph under his wing. When the veteran got injured, Joseph’s role increased. He stepped into a starting position and hasn’t looked back.
“My first year, I was behind Dawson. He was a huge mentor for me. I played with him in seven-on-seven back in the day. He taught me everything and built my confidence step by step. He knew I was going to be something, and told me to just stay confident. He put me in the right situations. He had a huge impact on me,” says Joseph.
“He got injured mid-season, and my first game was against Laval. He came and saw me, and said everything is happening for a reason. It’s your time. Just go out there and do your thing. Show the league what you’re about.”
Joseph was on the field in the 2023 regular season finale when the Stingers upset city rival Montreal 16-14. He and the rest of the Stingers defence held Hec Crighton Trophy winner and CFL Draft pick Jonathan Senecal to 151 yards passing, while coming back from a 14-0 deficit in the second half.
All-Star kicker Eric Maximuik put the game to bed with the game-winning 42-yard field goal with no time on the clock. The thrilling win was part of a 5-3 regular season for the Stingers, their best result since 2014.
Kristian Matte, a program graduate, two-time Grey Cup champion and 14-year Alouettes alum presents Joseph with the Shrine Bowl's defensive player of the game award, after the back recorded two interceptions in a win over Sherbrooke. Photo: Evan Buhler/Stingers
A year later, Joseph earned All-Canadian and RSEQ honours in a season that saw him record his first career pick six against Sherbrooke. As a team, Concordia went 2-6, however three of those losses came by 14 points or less.
“The coaches know my abilities. They know I’m a ball hawk. When the ball is in the air and I see it, there’s no 50-50,” he says.
“Polo loves to put me in the deep third, just reading everything that’s inside. The system that Polo has, it put me in the right position to win Defensive Player of the Year. When the ball goes deep, I just happen to be there to make a play on the ball. Shout out to the coaches for real.”
Along with Joseph, Concordia’s defence returns a number of key play makers in 2025. Other standouts such as fifth-year linebacker William Castonguay (led team with 48 tackles, plus two sacks), fourth-year defensive back Jean-Sébastien Lamothe (39 tackles, one pass breakup), fourth-year linebacker Loïk Gagné (2023 RSEQ All-Star) and third-year defensive lineman Emilio Vidali (2024 RSEQ All-Star) will lead by example.
“It’s going to be the third year for me and third year for the coaches. We know what we can do as a defence, we know what our players can do. We have confidence in each other,” Joseph says.
“We’re a lot closer. The chemistry is better. We know our roles. Everything has happened for a reason. We didn’t have the season we wanted last year, but we have great chemistry that we’re building. I feel like we’re going somewhere. We know each other now, We’re like a pack of wolves. This year is going to be a big year.”
Concordia kicks off their 2025 campaign against Montreal at the CEPSUM on Aug. 23 at 2 p.m. local time.