Ticats get Fantuz back just in time for key game
HAMILTON— Andy Fantuz’s 2017 debut comes at an ideal time for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The veteran slotback will return to the lineup Saturday night when Hamilton (3-9) hosts the Toronto Argonauts (6-7). It’s a pivotal game for both teams as the winner will clinch the season series and improve its playoff chances in the East Division.
Fantuz, 33, missed Hamilton’s first 12 regular-season games recovering from a knee injury suffered last October. The six-foot-four, 218-pound Fantuz was the East Division’s top Canadian in 2016 with a club-record 101 catches for 1,059 yards and five TDs.
But the 33-year-old native of Chatham, Ont., said returning in time for Hamilton’s biggest game of the season was more by chance than a flair for the dramatic.
“It wasn’t by design,” he said Friday. “But (it’s) definitely a hype home game and it’s nice to be against the Argos and (have) so much on the line.
“Nervous isn’t the right word, it’s (being) excited, anxious. I’m looking forward to that first play and get that first hit and then just playing football and hearing the crowd roar and getting a win.”
Veteran running back C.J. Gable also returns to Hamilton’s lineup. He starts ahead of Alex Green, who rushed for 140 yards in last weekend’s 24-23 road win over the B.C. Lions.
Abdul Kanneh also comes off the injured list to start at cornerback.
During his rehabilitation, Fantuz worked in the Ticats’ front office as the club’s co-ordinator of player development. While calling the role “a unique experience,’ Fantuz said his time away from the field made him appreciate playing much more.
“Getting back out there and smiling and joking around with everyone, it’s alot of fun,” he said. “You love this job and I’m glad to still be able to do it.”
Fantuz joins a Hamilton squad that’s 3-1 under interim coach June Jones. Only Calgary (4-0, league-best 11-1-1 record) has more wins the past four weeks.
“He’s a good football player up here,” Jones said of Fantuz. “His past is the standard for everybody.
“He looks100 per cent. I told him, ‘If you have any question, it’s on you. There’s no pressure on you to play.’ He said, ‘I feel great,’ and he went through live practice reps so he’s going to go.”