Get another Canuck on board!

The Pack is at one for sure (Rob Davis) and one potential (the new punter). Now they've worked out Fantuz, a stand out WR from UWO.

Come on!!!

October 14, 2005 - LONDON, Ontario, Canada –

Western Mustangs star Andy Fantuz has proven to be the most lethal threat at his position in Canadian Interuniversity Sport football this season. And if numbers are a true indicator, the fourth-year Chatham, ON should go down as the greatest wide receiver in university history. Fantuz needs just seven more catches to eclipse the all-time CIS receptions record of 186, established by Stefan Ptaszek of the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks from 1990 to 1994.

After hauling in seven balls for a season-high 151 yards and two touchdowns in Western’s loss to Laurier last Saturday, Fantuz is on the cusp of establishing his third and final major career receiving record. His current total of 3,940 yards is 753 more than the number two player on the list, Ryan Janzen of the McMaster Marauders (3,187 yards from 1996 to 2000). Fantuz broke that record in 2004, just his third year of Western football. His 39 touchdowns are also a CIS best for a receiver, leaving Ptaszek’s reception mark as the only record still to fall.

What’s arguably most impressive about Fantuz’s accomplishments is that he is constantly the centre of attention for opponents but that extra awareness doesn’t help defenses slow him down. Secondaries have no answer for his superior hands and athletic 6-4, 220-pound frame.

“He is the best at the ball I've ever seen,” says Western head coach Larry Haylor. “The absolute best possession receiver ever. He gets doubled constantly, impeded, fouled, and yet he puts up huge numbers each game.”

The 21-year-old has manufactured some prolific statistics over the course of his record-breaking career. In the final two regular season games of his rookie year in 2002 – in which he set the regular season mark of 1,300 receiving yards -- he had a combined 18 catches for 500 yards and six touchdowns, three in each outing. Fantuz finished with a career-high 57 receptions that season and then followed that with 39 catches for 905 yards and eight touchdowns in 2003 and 49 catches for 1,093 yards and nine touchdowns in 2004.

Despite recovering from emergency surgery on his thigh this summer, an injury that threatened his football future, he has been dominant in 2005, going just one game in his first six without scoring at least a single touchdown. Fantuz has registered 100-plus yards in four of those games and leads the CIS with 10 touchdown receptions. His best performance may have been in Western’s 55-31 comeback win over McMaster in week three of the regular season when four of his six catches went for touchdowns, three of which came in the final 4:03 of the second quarter to rally the Mustangs.

Fantuz’s playoff numbers are equally impressive. In five career post-season games, he has made 26 catches for 538 yards and four touchdowns. He is considered the early favourite to go first overall in the 2006 Canadian Football League draft.

The Indianapolis Colts and the Montreal Alouettes sent scouts to TD Waterhouse Stadium yesterday (Nov. 5) to watch Western Mustangs' Andy Fantuz, the most productive receiver in Canadian university football history.

Unfortunately, they didn't see much of him after Fantuz suffered a strained quadriceps in the second quarter of the Yates Cup semifinal against the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

His playing time was almost nil in the second half, but he was on the field in a defensive role for the final play of the game and picked off a Hail Mary by Gee-Gees quarterback Joshua Sacobie on the Western 30-yard-line.

Fantuz had three interceptions in the Gee-Gees' 27-24 overtime win in Ottawa on Oct. 15.

"I just had a little strain in my quad in the one play, but I'll be OK," said Fantuz, the OUA's nominee for the Hec Crighton trophy, awarded to the top player in Canadian university football.
The OUA will announce its nominee Thursday (Nov. 10).

While Fantuz shrugged it off, there is concern about his leg. He underwent emergency surgery in early June for bleeding in that quad after taking a knee-on-knee hit in the Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament in London.

Fantuz made just two catches for 24 yards yesterday.

"We don't think it's serious but he told us he couldn't run hard and couldn't run deep and any time that happens, it's an issue," said Mustangs head coach Larry Haylor.

The most recognizable scout at the game was former CFL coach Cal Murphy, working for the NFL Colts since 2000. He said Fantuz has been on their radar screen for a while.

"He's having an outstanding season and the Colts felt I should see him," Murphy said of the all-time CIS career leader in receptions (189), receiving yards (4,123) and touchdowns (41). While it's a longshot Fantuz would play in the NFL, it's expected he'll skip his fifth year at Western to play in the CFL next season.

"He's got good hands, tremendous vertical leap and he'll catch it in a crowd," said Murphy, who was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

"He shows quickness and that size (six-foot-four and 220 pounds) doesn't hurt him either. I would say that leg injury has hurt him a bit, but the fact he's playing speaks well for him.

"There's no question he's a good athlete and a pretty dedicated kid to come back the way he has. I just think it's going to take time to get it back to full strength."