20 years have passed since the Saskatchewan Roughriders selected Andy Fantuz in the 2006 CFL Draft, and his feelings haven’t changed for the team that picked him.<\/p>\n
“Saskatchewan gave so much to me as a community, it helped me grow into the person I am today. They welcomed me with open arms, both the people in Regina throughout the province and\u00a0worldwide. I see Rider flags and colours everywhere,\u00a0it was embracing, and it was really heartwarming for me,” Fantuz told\u00a0voice of the Riders, Dave Thomas.<\/p>\n
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“I still bleed green, and will never forget those years wearing the green and white;\u00a0I’m\u00a0happy to give back in any way I can.”<\/p>\n
Coming into the league, Fantuz knew the steep learning curve that he had to prepare for as a CFL rookie.<\/p>\n
“Like a jump from high school to university, a jump from university to\u00a0the pros,\u00a0the speed, the professionalism, the attitudes amongst the players, even the way the coaches are\u00a0very black and white about everything and not holding your hand. You gotta come in and soak it all in,” Fantuz said.<\/p>\n
“I was blown away by the talent in every aspect of the game, the size of the players, the speed, the tips and techniques that they learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Fantuz knew learning the pro game was daunting, he credits some veterans that helped him in his rookie year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got shut down a lot in that first year at first training camp, but even the guys on the defensive side, I remember guys like Eddie Davis and Omarr Morgan,\u00a0they would come up to me in the cafeteria or something,\u201d Fantuz said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey would give me some tips and say, ‘This is why I stopped you on that play, and this is what you showed me.’\u00a0Those little things really helped accelerate my development, more than you can put words to.”<\/p>\n
Fantuz\u00a0spent\u00a0time with the Riders from 2006 until 2010, then had a stint with the Chicago Bears <\/a>in 2011, before returning to the Green and White <\/a>that same year. His next CFL team was the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and he was with them from 2012 until 2017.<\/p>\n In his CFL career, Fantuz won a Grey Cup with the Riders in 2007 along with the Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian award, later he was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian in 2010, and received an All-CFL nomination that same year.<\/p>\n When it came to Fantuz’s first touchdown<\/a> in the CFL, he was asked what he could remember from that game.<\/p>\n