CFL receiver Andy Fantuz retires after 12-year career
HAMILTON — Watching Ricky Ray being carted off the field last month convinced Andy Fantuz it was time to call it a career.
The 34-year-old native of Chatham, Ont., retired on Thursday after 12 CFL seasons with Saskatchewan and Hamilton. Coincidentally, Fantuz made the announcement prior to his former teams squaring off at Tim Hortons Field.
Ray, 38, suffered a neck injury in Toronto’s 41-7 home loss to Calgary on June 23. After Ray was sandwiched between two Stampeders defenders, play was halted 20 minutes as Ray received medical attention before leav- ing on a stretcher, his head immobilized, and taken to hospital.
“When Ricky went down, we [Fantuz and wife, Amanda] were already an inch away from saying: ‘We’re totally good with it,’ ” Fantuz told reporters at Tim Hortons Field. “We just looked at each other and we knew.
And that’s when Fantuz figured it would be fitting to formally retire on the day his two former teams were playing each other.
The six-foot-four, 221-pound Fantuz played in 148 career games — 138 starts — with Saskatchewan (2006-11) and Hamilton (2012-17). He registered 637 catches for 8,363 yards with 44 touchdowns and 17 100-yard games.
Fantuz, who wore his ’07 Grey Cup ring on Thursday, appeared in 18 career playoff games, recording 76 catches for 992 yards and six TDs. He finishes ranked fourth all-time among Canadians in receptions and 18th overall in CFL history.
“I’ve got my ring here, I cherish this,” he said. “I cherish every person on that team.”
Not blessed with blazing speed, Fantuz had a knack for finding open areas in a defence. He ran crisp routes and was often hard to bring down after the catch.
Fantuz was named the league’s top Canadian in 2010 after recording 87 catches for a career-best 1,380 yards and six TDs. He played in five Grey Cup games, winning one in 2007 with the Roughriders, and was named the game’s outstanding Canadian twice.
Fantuz registered a career-best (and club record) 101 catches for 1,059 yards and five TDs with Hamilton in 2016.
Fantuz battled injuries in recent years, playing just three games in 2017 after returning from a torn ACL. He became a free agent in February.
“Football has been a huge focus of my entire life and taught me so many things, both in the game and in life,” he said. “Having our first daughter, Abigail, not even three weeks ago just kind of put the next chapter of my life into perspective and really gave me that purpose.”
Fantuz said he wants to remain involved in football in some capacity, but right now is focusing on his family.