A veteran in the Tiger-Cats receiving corp, Andy Fantuz got his 2016 season underway on the right foot. Playing against the Argos in their home opener at BMO Field, Fantuz provided a momentum swing for the Black and Gold after snagging a pass that was deflected off the hands of an Argos defender in the end zone.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Chris Young
Fantuz has made sure to bring back the iconic “Tuuuuuuz” chant to Tim Hortons Field after missing much of last season battling injuries. In 14 games this season, Fantuz has caught 85 passes while putting up 926 yards and five touchdowns so far on the year.
This past weekend, facing the high-flying Calgary Stampeders, Fantuz brought in 15 receptions. He came just one reception short of tying the franchise record for most catches. The Tiger-Cats record belongs to Arland Bruce III who managed to make 16 receptions on July 31, 2010 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. His 15 reception performance did, however, mark a career best for the 11-year receiver.
Hamilton is still in the chase for the East Division title this season. However, with a physically demanding sport like football, injuries are inevitable.
Luckily for the Ticats, the sure hands of Andy Fantuz along with his veteran leadership have been a reliable target in the Hamilton offence. With other receiving threats in both Luke Tasker and Chad Owens sidelined with injuries, Fantuz has stepped up and taken a larger role the past two weeks.
In the Ticats previous two games, the former Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian has hauled in 24 passes for 243 yards, having back-to-back 100-yard performances.
Fantuz is less than 100 yards away from having his first 1,000-yard season since 2010 with four games remaining in the regular season, . Not just that, but he is also only two receptions away from matching his career highest in total receptions for a season (87).
| YEAR | TEAM | GP | REC | YARDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | SSK | 18 | 30 | 408 | 13.6 | 3 | 30 |
| 2007 | SSK | 17 | 56 | 978 | 17.5 | 7 | 72 |
| 2008 | SSK | 7 | 36 | 488 | 13.6 | 3 | 31 |
| 2009 | SSK | 13 | 67 | 882 | 13.2 | 4 | 40 |
| 2010 | SSK | 18 | 87 | 1380 | 15.9 | 6 | 66 |
| 2011 | SSK | 4 | 13 | 175 | 13.5 | 0 | 31 |
| 2012 | HAM | 17 | 72 | 971 | 13.5 | 8 | 27 |
| 2013 | HAM | 12 | 65 | 896 | 13.8 | 3 | 64 |
| 2014 | HAM | 13 | 62 | 639 | 10.3 | 3 | 31 |
| 2015 | HAM | 9 | 42 | 432 | 10.3 | 2 | 23 |
| 2016 | HAM | 14 | 85 | 926 | 10.9 | 5 | 39 |
