TORONTO — Jason Pottinger is calling it a career.
The nine-year veteran linebacker announced his retirement Friday, just two days before the Ottawa Redblacks opened training camp. The native of Whitby, Ont., spent last season with Ottawa after being selected by the club in the CFL expansion draft following the 2013 campaign.
"Over the last nine CFL seasons I have had the privilege of travelling our country from coast to coast and playing the game I love," Pottinger said. "I also had the great honour of winning a Grey Cup championship in my hometown.
"The best part was that I enjoyed every second of it with my friends and family. I’ll never forget the good times I had, the amazing people I met and the valuable life lessons I learned throughout my career."
Pottinger, 31, began his pro career with the B.C. Lions after being selected second overall in the 2006 CFL draft. He won the first of his two Grey Cup titles with the Lions that season.
The six-foot-two, 238-pound Pottinger spent three seasons in B.C. before being dealt to the Toronto Argonauts on March 23, 2009 for an ’09 first-round draft pick. He played five seasons with the Argos, helping the team win the 2012 Grey Cup game at Rogers Centre.
Pottinger appeared in all 18 regular-season games last season with Ottawa.
Pottinger was a standout player at McMaster University from 2002-05. Twice he was an All-Canadian and captured the OUA’s top defensive player honour in 2004 and 2005.
Pottinger also started a charitable initiative, Tackles 4 Toilets, which raises money to build new latrines for rural grade schools in Kenya. He has sent over 200 underprivileged youth to Argos games.
