‘Magical ride’ ends for Cahoon

It’s the inevitable day every athlete, professional or amateur, knows is coming. It’s the brutal honesty of life. Careers come to an end. For some, far too prematurely. For the fortunates ones, it comes after a glorious run, collectively and individually.

For Ben Cahoon, the end came yesterday, with little pizzazz at an airport hotel – albeit one that has recently opened -so he could come in one night and return to his home in Utah the next. It was much like his career, generally devoid of histrionics after a catch or one of his 65 regular-season touchdowns.

And while the timing of the announcement was sudden, decided upon only last weekend he said, it hardly came as a surprise. The Gazette reported on Jan. 14 that Cahoon was retiring, although the 38-year-old said he came to the conclusion, with the help of his family, months earlier and knew the 2010 season would be his last in the Canadian Football League.

"All good things must come to an end," he said. "I’ve been on a magical ride, with highs and lows that I never could have imagined.

"I feel good about the decision," he later added. "It has been a great ride, but it’s the time for it to end. I won’t replay this in my mind at all. I’ve known it’s coming, although I avoided the thought of trying to prepare for it."

He was humourous and emotional -although more of the former -as he took his place behind the microphone, looking as fresh-faced as the rookie who reported to training camp in St. Jean in 1998. Little could we have known then of the greatness that was to follow for the next 13 seasons from a guy who seemed too small and too slow to play professional football; a player who was born in Utah but qualified as a non-import in this goofy league because he had spent a portion of his childhood in Alberta and Montreal.

"He took pride in catching every ball. Even in practice he dove, just to impress the coaches," said quarterback Anthony Calvillo who, like Cahoon, joined the Als in 1998, albeit under different circumstances.

Their chemistry over the years was magical as the duo became one of the league’s greatest pitch-and-catch tandems.

But Calvillo and Cahoon became even closer off the field, dining and vacationing together. So it’s probable Calvillo, more than any other player, will feel the void this June, when he reports to training camp and Cahoon’s not around.

"I don’t think it has hit me yet. There’s a lot I’m going to miss," said Calvillo, one of a half-dozen players in attendance. "As a player and friend, we’ve been together 13 years. Who am I going to eat dinner with before games? Last year, it was Bryan Chiu (who retired). Now it’s Ben. One year it’ll be me and Scott Flory. He’s going to be missed.

"He was that rare breed," Calvillo continued. "He had an ability to play 13 years and be consistent. We’ve all seen what he can do on the field. Look at his frame. He’s not the biggest, but he got open. At the beginning, we were all trying to make a name. I don’t remember one day that stood out; we were all trying to make the team. But it was his ability to catch … the dramatic catches. That’s what he took a lot of pride in."

If you’re unfamiliar with the numbers, you’ll hear them repeated, over and over, in the coming days.

Cahoon played 224 regular-season games, all for the same team, repeatedly spurning free agency to re-sign with the Als. He made 1,017 receptions -many spectacular, although the majority weren’t particularly long. He caught passes that were over his head, ones that were behind him and still others that seemed too low to have been completed. He extended himself, diving, to make incredible catches, always springing to his feet immediately, as though he was made of rubber. He constantly left us in awe, shaking our heads in disbelief.

He retires as the CFL career leader in receptions, having gained 13,301 yards in the process. Nine times in his career, including eight consecutive seasons from 2002-09, he gained at least 1,000 yards. Cahoon was the league’s outstanding Canadian twice. On two other occasions he was named the outstanding Canadian in the Grey Cup game -once following a Montreal defeat. A league all-star three times, which hardly seems sufficient, Cahoon departs a winner with three championships, including two consecutive. Every athlete should be so lucky and leave on his own terms, with his head high.

"It’s going to affect the locker," veteran guard Flory admitted. "We’ve all got a role, a niche. Ben had a locker-room presence. His attitude was to joke, but I liked the way he could transfer it to the field (and become serious). He’s going to be hard to replace.

"Ben defied the odds and I’m feeling selfish, because we’ve lost a big part of the team, just by his presence."

Cahoon was the morale presence and conscience of this team, a player who became a media magnet simply because he was so brutally honest and erudite -those same qualities that undoubtedly will make him a superb coach, whether that time comes immediately with his alma mater, Brigham Young University, or somewhere else down the line.

The Als will survive without Cahoon, let’s not kid ourselves. At times, it was painful to watch him last season -not because he no longer was capable of contributing, but rather, that he obviously had become an afterthought in the team’s offensive scheme. There were too many short-yardage receptions and too many painful tackles administered against him. And there were too many dropped passes from one of the league’s most sure-handed receivers.

Don’t fault him for hanging around one season too long. Careers are far too short, and they all should play for as long as they can. Instead, remember all the spectacular catches he made. Think about how self-effacing and humble he was, and all the wonderful memories he leaves us with.

"I’m so grateful for the chance I’ve had to be an Alouette for 13 years," he said.

Actually, we are the ones who are richer for the experience.