TORONTO — There was a part of Ricky Ray, several months ago, that wondered whether this was it.
“The second half of last year, when I got hurt the second time and just kind of the way the season was going, I was like ‘I don’t know’,” said Ray.
He was wondering if, after 14 seasons in the Canadian Football League, it was time to call it a career.
The league’s second-oldest quarterback now with the retirement of Henry Burris (Kevin Glenn is the oldest by four months), Ray joined CFL.ca’s Davis Sanchez in a one-on-one interview for The Waggle to talk about retirement, reclaiming the starting job and the upcoming season.
“I wasn’t playing and it was just kind of ‘hey, you know, gotta just think about some things’,” said Ray.
“I got into the off-season and I never once had the feeling I didn’t want to play anymore. Everything was ‘I want to play, I want to play’ — so it ended up being an easy decision for me.”
The entire interview can he heard below:
The Waggle Extra: Catching up with Ricky Ray
Davis catches up with former teammate and Argos QB Ricky Ray at Mark’s CFL Week in Regina to talk about contemplating retirement, the new leadership in Toronto and being handed the starting role once again.
The 37-year-old added that despite the physical toll caused by injuries the last few years, he’s still got plenty of football left in him. The only uncertainty came following the departure of Scott Milanovich.
What would happen next for the future Hall of Famer?
“It was kind of the first time in a while in my career when I wasn’t sure — I was like ‘man, am I going to be playing in Toronto or am I going to be looking for a job somewhere else?'”
Things changed quickly. The Argos hired the duo of Jim Popp as GM and Marc Trestman as head coach, while Trestman immediately named Ray the starter.
The Argos’ quarterback huddle is crowded, with names such as Drew Willy, Jeff Mathews and Logan Kilgore all in the mix. With that said, Ray knows he’ll still have to go out in camp, compete and earn the job.
Ricky Ray stands on the sideline during the Argos’ Week 2 matchup with the Riders (The Canadian Press)
On the other hand, Ray finds the prospect of having to prove himself rejuvenating.
“As a player, it’s nice not to have that uncertainty,” said Ray. “It’s nice to know that you’re going to be given the full opportunity to prove yourself.”
Trestman watching will only be more motivation.
“I think just re-proving yourself to new coaches and trying to earn their respect gives you a little bit of that edge that you’re looking for,” said Ray. “That’s sometimes what change brings — it gets you excited about proving yourself again.”
With 54,883 career passing yards, Ray is the CFL’s fourth all-time leading passer. He’s been a CFL All-Star three times, won three Grey Cups and a Grey Cup MVP in 2005. He also holds records for the highest completion percentage in a single season (77.2%) and single game (95%).
