CFL.ca Staff
TORONTO — After a nine-year career spent with four different teams, offensive lineman Marc Parenteau has announced his retirement.
Parenteau, 33, hangs up his cleats as a two-time Grey Cup champion, winning the big game in 2007 with the Roughriders and again in 2012 with the Argonauts.
“Every athlete knows that this day is coming, the day they move on from the sport they love. For most it is forced upon us, very few get to go out on their own terms,” said Parenteau.
| Parenteau: 2-time champ |
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“A big thank you to coach Magazu, Gibson, Wiley and Burrato who made me a better offensive lineman in my football career and to my agent Darren Gill who helped me navigate the CFL waters for almost a decade.” – Marc Parenteau |
“After much deliberation over the past few weeks, I have decided to hang up my cleats and move into real estate full time, another passion of mine that I have doing for the past 5 years and will continue to do with Remax in Ottawa,” he added.
Parenteau was selected in the fifth round (36th overall) by the Ottawa Renegades in the 2003 CFL Draft, but didn’t play in a CFL game until the 2005 season.
After being released by Ottawa in 2005, Parenteau promptly joined the Blue Bombers, whom he would remain with uintil the 2007 season when he signed with the Roughriders as a free agent. That season saw him dress in 18 regular season games, starting twice at left guard. He then dressed in two playoff games, as well as the Riders’ Grey Cup win over the Bombers.
Parenteau remained with the Roughriders until signing with the Argonauts as a free agent in 2012. That same year, he won the 100th Grey Cup after starting in 12 games, while dressing in 14.
His stay in Toronto was short, however, as he was traded to the Blue Bombers in September of last year in exchange for Canadian running back Anthony Woodson.
Parenteau feels fortunate that he was able to enjoy such a fulfilling career.
“After a fun filled 9 years in the CFL I was fortunate enough to play in 4 Grey Cups, win 2 of those games and catch a touchdown in another, so I have a lot to be grateful for and not much to complain about,” he said.
“First and most importantly I would like to thank my family and friends who have supported me my entire career. My wife and kids who were my pillars of strength at home and always my biggest supporters. My mom and dad who supported me unconditionally and made countless sacrifices. My brother who taught me early on that there was no substitute for hard work,” he added.
Parenteau was also quick to thank his teammates for their contributions to his career.
“Finally, a special thanks to all my teammates through the years, especially my fellow offensive linemen who made this journey so memorable. You win games, you lose games but in the end the best memories I have are the ones I created with you guys. I was fortunate enough to play for some great franchises that have amazing fans, thanks everyone!”
