LUNCH PAIL GUY LATTANZIO PUTS HIS FAMILY FIRST
Redblacks' wrecking ball defensive tackle retires to kick off the next chapter in life
Through heartbreak and pain, through a roller-coaster ride of wins and losses, through a Grey Cup championship and the exhilaration that comes with marriage and a newborn child, life has been busy for Ettore Lattanzio since he joined the Ottawa Redblacks to kick off his CFL career in 2015.
On Friday, Lattanzio told the Redblacks he was retiring, stepping away from football to focus on a real estate career and spend more time with his family — wife Julie and their son Rosario, born last April. A heart-and-soul player who was never the biggest or fastest, Lattanzio was a lunchpail guy who was never afraid to put in the grind, always a shining example to those around him.
“I came, I saw, I played, I won a Grey Cup with a great organization, and I've been able to play with some legends,” said the 30-year-old Lattanzio. “It happened sooner than I would have liked, but I've been very fortunate and blessed. I talked about it with teammates, former teammates and family members. It's not an easy decision.”
In the midst of a pandemic and a lost 2020 CFL season, Lattanzio was facing taking a pay cut, something he accepted a year ago to stay on the team and in the league.
“I've had injuries, there's been wear and tear, but I definitely had more years in me,” he said. “It wasn't a question of can I still do it, it was do I want to do it at this point in my life? The pandemic is still going on, it definitely forced my hand. I have to provide for my family. I have a kid to worry about. I have to think about my family's needs, not my own.
“Every year, you're offered less and less money — it's not the team's fault, it's the circumstances. They need to make cuts — it's understandable. If it was a couple of years back and I didn't have a child, it would be a no-brainer — I'm signing up and I'm ready to go. So now I'm thinking about the big picture; if I have to continue to take a pay cut to do the same work with the same amount of risk involved, it's tough at this point of my life.”
While there were conversations about possibly playing elsewhere in the CFL, Lattanzio was never going to leave his hometown, where he got his start playing football at age 12 with the National Capital Amateur Football Association's Nepean Eagles. He would later go to Mother Teresa High School. And now, he's ready to move on to another stage in his life.
“I'm nowhere near a big-name player. The game is going to move forward without E.T.,” said Lattanzio. “It was hard to justify going away and leaving my family here. I know some guys do that. Hat's off to them, but it's not in my nature. I'm entrenched here. It's too much of a sacrifice at this point to get up and leave. We're not talking about NFL money. There's no upfront money, there are no guarantees. I get it, I've accepted that type of risk in the past. It's just harder to take that risk now. (My wife's) a teacher
(at St. Emily Elementary School), I'm not going to have her leave her career because of football. I love football, it's been a big part of my life. But there comes a point where there are diminishing returns.”
It was a gut-wrenching decision for a 6-foot, 270-pound buzz saw who had long battled the “too small” label. It never prevented him from succeeding; it motivated him, pushing him to work harder. In a rotational role on the Redblacks defensive line, his energy-filled style blew up offensive schemes before they could get rolling.
“So much of my career has always been focused on my size. It's not often you get a 6-foot, 270-pound nose tackle, so I get it,” said Lattanzio. “But sometimes that takes away from what I've been able to accomplish. I understand where I'm viewed and where I fit on the totem pole. If I was a couple of inches taller, a couple of pounds heavier, maybe things could have been different.”
Success isn't always measured by numbers. With Lattanzio, you talk about the intangibles. Over his five years wearing Redblacks colours, he played in 63 games, registering 70 tackles, eight sacks and a couple of forced fumbles.
“My stats aren't stellar by any means, but I think I've proven myself more than capable of playing at a high level,” he said. “I had a good career. All I hope is that my peers saw me as a guy who went in there, and as my coaches would say, `He was just like a wrecking ball.' The rest doesn't matter, all I wanted was the respect of my peers. It's the most unflashy position you could be in, next to being an offensive lineman. I was always being double teamed. If you do that at my size, it's something a lot of guys couldn't have handled.
“Unless you're Tom Brady or somebody at that level, when you walk away, there's not much more to say about what you could have done. With the situations I've been put in and what I've been given, I've done the best I could. I wish I could say I've got so many sacks and this and that, but there's a lot more to being successful than just statistics.”
Lattanzio was the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' fifth-round draft pick in 2015, coming off an outstanding college career with the Ottawa Gee-Gees — he won the J.P. Metras Trophy as the top lineman in Canadian university football in 2014. The Bombers converted him to fullback, then dropped him in training camp. The Redblacks swooped in and picked up the local kid.
“People may have underestimated him because of his size,” said Redblacks general manager Marcel Desjardins. “But he had the power, he was strong. We had seen him playing locally and thought, with a bit of work, he could transition to another level. He was different than a lot of Canadian D-tackles you get in our league. A lot of the other buys are big, bulky, slow-moving guys. He was quick and explosive, he won with leverage, and he had a great motor. He could get on the field and disrupt because of his unique combination of quickness and leverage and strength.”
Heading into CFL free agency, which began Tuesday, the Redblacks told Lattanzio to take some time to think about his future. He was admired not only by his teammates, but by the decision-makers as well. Desjardins always appreciated what the team got from Lattanzio — on and off the field.
“He's everything you want in a player and person,” said Desjardins. “He's a salt of the earth type of guy. You would love to have a bunch of those guys around.”
Lattanzio was proud to represent his family, his school and his city, playing with great players and learning under great coaches — big influences to him, guys like Leroy Blugh, Mark Nelson, Bob Dyce and Rick Campbell. Lattanzio didn't want it to end this way. A 2020 season that was cancelled deflated his spirit. He wanted to erase the memories of 2019's 3-15 finish for the Redblacks.
“I was really hoping I could put that 2019 chapter behind me and get a clean slate,” he said. “It was tough, not just physically, but also mentally. I felt burnt out. I was really looking for the 2020 season to invigorate that passion. I didn't have the means to sit and do nothing for a year, then hope and pray we'd have a season the following year. So, I got a job.”
Settling into the real estate business has provided challenges, but Lattanzio is excited about what the future will bring.
“You hear this all the time from athletes when they talk about what they'll miss — it's the locker-room, the joking, the shenanigans, being around the boys and having a good time. I have some great memories. Coming back to play in Ottawa, my life came full circle. I hope fans and teammates will respect me for my decision, I hope nobody holds anything against me. It's nothing against the organization, I'll forever be indebted to them.
“I've been playing (football) since I was 12. It's been a lot of blood sweat and tears and pain and everything else in between. I've got a Grey Cup, I'm not complaining. I'm beyond blessed, I was able to do it all in my home city. I'll be around, I'll come to the games and support the team. But I need to do what's best for me.”