'I love having the game on the line. It's my dream,' Alouettes' Jose Maltos says

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Byron Archambault had so much faith in placekicker Jose Maltos, he didn’t send out the lighter cover unit in case he missed the potential game-winning field goal against Calgary last Thursday.

Archambault’s faith was rewarded. Maltos kicked a career-long 58-yarder with 70 seconds left in regulation and the Alouettes defeated the Stampeders 23-21.

“We were getting it,” Archambault, the Als’ special teams coordinator and assistant head coach, said emphatically. “One hundred per cent. We practised long field goals that week. And the air in Calgary helps to kick longer. It helps the ball travel. We can kick this. We’re going to make this kick.”

The kick was one of five Maltos made against Calgary, including a 10-yard chip shot early in the second quarter when the Als couldn’t score a touchdown from the Stamps’ 3. He has been virtually automatic this season, missing only two of 25 attempts — and one of those, against B.C., struck the upright. Maltos also hit a 50-yarder on June 13 at Ottawa.

The 58-yard kick was the longest of his career and also set a team mark. The old standard was set by David Ray, who kicked a 54-yarder against Ottawa on Oct. 26, 1968. Maltos, David Côté, Damon Duval and Boris Bede (twice) connected from 53 yards.

Maltos, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, is part of the CFL’s global initiative. He signed with the Als as a free agent in 2023 after spending two seasons with Ottawa. He spent most of that year on Montreal’s practice roster, backing up Côté. But Côté suffered a thigh injury and missed most of 2024, opening the door for Maltos. Côté retired before the start of this season.

Maltos said he relishes game-winning opportunities. There’s no anxiety or stress, he added.

“I’ve been practising that mentally first,” he said. “I think I was ready to help the team, of course. The team needed me at that point. I needed to do my best.

“I love having the game on the line. It’s my dream. I was just thinking to do my best kick to help the team.”

Last week’s game had extra significance for Maltos, who added the name Diaz on the back of his jersey in honour of his mother, who underwent recent surgery for an undisclosed ailment. He surprised his mother with the gesture and said she cried while watching the game at home on television.

“When I was playing for Ottawa, I had great games against Montreal,” said Maltos, who played for the Redblacks in 2019 and ‘22. “That was my process. I needed to be patient and wait for my opportunity. I’m having this opportunity now and I’m glad I can help the team.”

Maltos kicked five field goals in an exhibition game against the Als on June 3, 2022 — and it didn’t go unnoticed by Montreal general manager Danny Maciocia. That might have been the moment Maltos registered on Maciocia’s radar. He was punting, place-kicking and handling kickoffs for the Redblacks, but Maciocia wanted to lighten his workload.

“If there’s something we’re proud about as a scouting staff, we didn’t want him to do all three,” Maciocia said of Maltos’s addition. “One thing he does really well is put the ball through the uprights.”

Maltos, 33, works full-time as a real estate agent in Mexico — even during the football season. When he returns home for the winter, it hasn’t been easy finding a practice field that has uprights. But he hasn’t allowed that to deter him. He sends regular videos to Archambault of his off-season kicking regimen.

Archambault, a gym rat, said Maltos lifts weights four or five times each week and has bought into his coach’s work ethic.

“You look at the guy, you love the guy,” Archambault said. “You’re around the guy, you love the guy. You’re around the guy, you root for the guy. He’s the ultimate team guy. I think everyone in the locker room loves that guy. It’s an infectious behaviour because you also see the grind and the work he has put in. He was waiting for that shot, getting ready and staying mentally strong.

“You’re not surprised to see the accolades. You’re not surprised to see the success that follows. He has put a lot of work in and he’s reaping the benefits.”

Maltos, who easily made the record-setting kick — and put the ball down the middle — believes his maximum distance is 65 yards. He said he wants to play until age 38.