Gilles Duceppe's election tour took him straight into the den of some Grizzlys (sic) in Montmagny, Que., this afternoon.

The Grizzlys are the local high school football team. Before watching part of an afternoon game from the grandstands, Duceppe stood along the sidelines of team's brand-new home field and shook hands with the players as they skipped past in single file, donning their maroon and white uniforms.

The event surely inspired fond memories for the Bloc Québécois leader, who, it turns out, is not only an avid football fan, he's also an experienced player.

"When I played in a college league, I played offensive end, and sometimes in tough situations as safety," Duceppe told a news conference.

"Then, I played until I was 32 years old as a quarterback in the Pan Canadian Touch Football League."

Duceppe says what he enjoys most are the tactics of the game.

"I would say football is like a chess game with humans playing. One thing I still do is to work out plays on a sheet (of paper)," he said.

—Tim Duboyce