Quinton Porter, the former Portland High star quarterback, signed a three-year contract with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League on Monday.

“I couldn’t be happier,” said Porter on Wednesday night, back home in Portland. “Part of me was done with football but this feels like the beginning of a new chapter.”

Porter, 30, was on the Hamilton Tiger Cats roster for the past five seasons as an on-and-off starter. He played infrequently last season, used in short-yardage situations near the goal line. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound quarterback with the strong arm had earned the reputation as a hard-nosed rusher.

He led the CFL in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in 2011 with nine.

“The team was using me quite a bit, but it wasn’t the opportunity I was looking for,” said Porter, who played at Boston College, giving way to Matt Ryan, now with the Atlanta Falcons.

“Quinton has been on my radar screen for sometime,” said Montreal general manager Jim Popp. “We feel his potential can reach great heights and we look forward in getting him into the Alouettes system.”

The best game of Porter’s professional career came against Montreal, a perennial contender. He passed and rushed for five touchdowns, completing 27-of-32 passes for 429 yards and rushing for 42 yards on six carries in 2008.


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