15°c Light rain showers
17°c Cloudy with showers
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
CFL's lone Canadian corner calls it quits
Davis Sanchez (CP)
SURREY, B.C. -- Davis Sanchez played football like few other Canadians.
In fact, he was the only Canadian to start at cornerback, a position dominated by imports, during his 11-season CFL career. The Delta, B.C., native officially hung up his cleats Monday, retiring after he spent the last two campaigns with the B.C. Lions.
"I didn't see it any differently," said Sanchez, 37. "I was always the cornerback. Whether I was a Canadian or wherever I was from, it didn't make any difference, because that's all I've ever been."
Drafted by Montreal sixth overall in 1999, he played 155 career games with the Alouettes, Lions, Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos.
Along the way, he earned three Grey Cups, with Edmonton in 2005, Montreal in 2009 and the Lions last year. He was a three-time East Division all-star as well as league all-star one season.
Sanchez hopes he has opened CFL talent-seekers' eyes to Canadians' abilities to play the so-called skilled positions usually reserved for Americans. But he acknowledged that teams will be slow to adopt change.
"There's not going to be all Canadian corners," he said. "That's just not going to happen."
-- The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 15, 2012 D4
More Football
- Back to Top
- Return to Football
Poll
Most Popular Football
- Blue Bombers axe Green, Matechuk and Yenga
- Bombers cut Green, Yenga, Matechuk
- Buck 'goes long' for Winnipeg
- Big Blue will have one helluva punter
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Goodbye phone call upended QB's plans
- Ex-CFL all-star player Joffrey Reynolds gets 90 days for assaulting girlfriend
- Argos release ex-Bomber Brink
- Running back Jon Cornish says getting Stamps back to Grey Cup his No. 1 goal
- Man with no plan tries again
- Big Blue will have one helluva punter
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Buck 'goes long' for Winnipeg
- Bombers cut Green, Yenga, Matechuk
- Argos release ex-Bomber Brink
- Blue Bombers axe Green, Matechuk and Yenga
- Bombers training camp opens June 2
- Goodbye phone call upended QB's plans
- Man with no plan tries again
- The 50th Super Bowl goes to the San Francisco Bay Area; 2017 title game to be in Houston
- Bombers detail parking plan for new stadium
- Bomber boozers will change or they 'won't be here': GM Mack
- Hall turning heads at Bomber mini-camp
- Bombers are watching you
- CFL draft pick Mulumba would be proud to be a Bomber
- Bomber security to wave wands this season
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Bomber GM silent on Tebow's CFL prospects
- Packers prospect a risky pick
- Big Blue will have one helluva punter
- Buck 'goes long' for Winnipeg
- Argos release ex-Bomber Brink
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Bombers detail parking plan for new stadium
- Buck 'goes long' for Winnipeg
- Bombers tackle parking issue
- Game ball to tour communities before grand opening of new Bomber stadium
- Hall, Clement go to school
- Blue Bombers board of directors accepting nominations
- Bomber security to wave wands this season
- Bombers handing off opening-day ball to fans
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Bombers GM agrees with coach: players need to act like pros
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.