Former quarterback Marcus Crandell has signed a one-day contract to officially retire as a Calgary Stampeder more than 21 years after he last played for the organization and 17 years after his final snap.
Crandell played four seasons with the Stampeders from 2001 to 2004. In his first campaign, he helped the team overcome a 5-9 start to the season and won three of the final four games to qualify for the postseason, sparking a magical Grey Cup run. He threw nine touchdown passes without a single interception in wins over BC, Edmonton and Winnipeg, earning MVP honours after a 309-yard performance in the title game.
“I’m very happy that Marcus gets this opportunity to retire as a member of the Stampeders,” team president Jay McNeil, a former teammate of Crandell’s said in a statement. “I’ll never forget Marcus’ contributions to our Grey Cup championship in 2001. We had a slow start and had to win the final game of the regular season just to get into the playoffs.
“We believed in ourselves when nobody else in the country gave us a chance but we hit our stride down the stretch and it was Marcus leading the way, capped off by an MVP performance in the Grey Cup game.”
Crandell played a total of 11 seasons in the CFL with Edmonton, Calgary, and Saskatchewan, interrupted by stints in NFL Europe and the XFL. He hung up his cleats following the 2008 season, having thrown for 17,227 yards, 86 touchdowns, and 88 interceptions. He also ran for 1,303 yards and 20 touchdowns in 153 appearances.
The 51-year-old later spent time on CFL coaching staffs with Saskatchewan, Edmonton and the Ottawa Redblacks.
“To the Calgary Stampeders organization, thank you for taking a young man who was born in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, but raised in the small town of Robersonville, North Carolina, who had big dreams of becoming a professional quarterback. This organization is truly a class act when it comes to professional sports,” Crandell wrote as part of an extensive statement.
“I am grateful for all the time spent in the city of Calgary and performing in the presence of some of the best fans in the league. Another blessing is to have played for a great coaching staff assembled by the legend Wally Buono.
“Many thanks go out to my teammates for the hard work they displayed day in and day out as we strived to achieve success.”
Crandell will be in attendance at the Stampeders’ season opener on Saturday, June 7 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
