Toronto Argonauts’ offensive lineman Theren Churchill will not be in training camp with the rest of his teammates this month, choosing to temporarily step away from the game to focus on fatherhood.
The Argos’ 2020 first-round pick made the announcement via his Instagram account on Friday, sharing the following message.
“To me, this is the most important.
Today I made the difficult decision to leave at the beginning of Argos training camp to take a step back from football to prioritize a moment in my life where my heart and mind are currently at. My amazing girlfriend, Hallie and I, are expecting our first baby together in the coming weeks and I feel that that’s where I need to be at this time.
I know becoming a father will be a moment I’ll never forget but also a moment that I can’t miss.
I am hoping to get back on the field as soon as I can [fingers crossed].
Thank you to Argos organization and my teammates for their full support through this difficult decision.
I will update when the time is right!”
The six-foot-six, 295-pound Churchill was selected ninth overall by Toronto in the 2020 CFL Draft. He dressed for ten regular-season games and the East Final as a rookie in 2021, making one start at right guard in the team’s Week 16 loss to Edmonton.
Before his CFL career, Churchill spent three seasons at the University of Regina (2017-2019) where he played in 25 games, starting all 25 at right tackle. The Stettler, Alberta native played four seasons of junior football with the Edmonton Huskies where he was a Prairie Conference all-star before his time at Regina.
