Canadian Football Hall of Fame linebacker and current Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea has been notified of the tragic news of the passing of Chris Schultz.
The 61-year-old suffered a heart attack and passed suddenly this week.
“On behalf of our organization, I would like to express the sadness we share with the Toronto Argonauts organization, everyone at TSN and all members of the media, and everyone else around the CFL who knew Chris,” O’Shea said in a statement.
The 61-year old was a household name to football fans in Canada, spending more than 20 years covering both the NFL and CFL after becoming a mainstay on the CFL on TSN panel in 1998. Schultz most recently served as colour analyst for the Argos radio broadcasts.
“On a personal level, I really liked Schultzy and thought he always did a tremendous job, was well prepared and most importantly, cared deeply about the CFL,” O’Shea said.
The gentle giant seamlessly transitioned to broadcast television post-retirement, becoming a fan favourite for his unique brand of insight and humour. Schultz established himself as one of the faces of the game for an entire generation of fans before stepping back in recent years to focus on calling games for TSN 1050 in Toronto.
“Whether he was an opponent, seeing him around stadiums across Canada, or having the opportunity to spend time with him away from the game, these are all memories I will forever cherish,” O’Shea said. “The CFL is filled with countless men and women who make it spectacular, and we lost one of them yesterday.”
