An avid Argos supporter and season ticket holder, Don Landry has covered almost every type of news from sports to music to talk radio in his 25 years of broadcasting and has conducted over 10,000 interviews with the likes of Prime Ministers, Premiers, sports legends, showbiz stars, power brokers and many more. Follow Don on Twitter @argoslandry or visit his website at donlandry.com.
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DON LANDRY
Argonauts.ca Columnist
MISSISSAUGA — He’s a college football star who lost everything he owned to Katrina. He’s an NFL vet who lost everything he had to a shoulder injury.
Now, Anthony Cannon rides the bus to practice. And he’s thankful.
Because after seeing the devastation left behind by a hurricane and having your lucrative livelihood torn from you like the labrum from your shoulder blade, comes perspective.
A CFL rookie at the age of 26, the Argos’ linebacker is happy because, he says, “Now I have a home.”
Riding the bus to practice everyday, a 30 or 40 minute commute with one transfer in the middle, doesn’t faze Cannon. He just doesn’t want to be a bother to anyone.
“I don’t like to put that burden on anyone, to say ‘hey can you come pick me up?’ I like to move on my own time, so I just hop on the bus.
Mississauga Transit runs right past where I stay so I just take it, connect at Mississauga Road, it drops me off here at the bus station,” he says matter-of-factly. “Three dollars. Can’t beat it.”
“When it comes to ‘stuff,’ I don’t get caught up in that anymore because it comes and goes. I’m still the same person, whether I’m riding on the bus or driving in a car.”
Now, it may be no big deal to most of us, the transit thing. But pro athletes, including those in the CFL, are known to value their vehicles. A sweet ride is a nice status symbol. But Cannon doesn’t need such trappings, having learned from his experience during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He was playing at Tulane University, in New Orleans, when the disaster struck.
“It was senior year. We had a house; me and Sean Lucas (who now plays for the Saskatchewan Roughriders). He was my roommate. The hurricane came and we had to evacuate. Came back and we had an 8 foot waterline at our house, and everything gone.”
That, of course, had an effect on Cannon. He lost most of his earthly possessions, but realized he was, in essence, one of the lucky ones.
“People who weren’t as privileged as we were – because we had scholarships…we were taken care of – some people couldn’t do anything for themselves. It was sad. It was disheartening.”
Something like that is either a character builder or destroyer. You can be crushed by despair or you can fight your way through and come out a better person. Seems the latter is what’s happened to Cannon.
“Cannon’s a guy who takes the bus to work every day so he can send more money back home. He’s the kind of guy who flourishes in this league because he loves to play. He’s grateful for his opportunity.”
– Jim Barker
When I asked Head Coach Jim Barker to comment on the character of his first year defender, he gave some more insight as to why Anthony Cannon, pro linebacker, rides the bus.
“Cannon’s a guy who takes the bus to work every day so he can send more money back home,” said Barker. “I have a ton of respect for the young man.”
Cannon’s two year old son, Anthony junior, lives in Atlanta.
“I know what I’m here for. It’s for him,” said Cannon.
As for football, Barker likes what Cannon has shown so far and is hoping for more growth as he gains experience. Three years of special teams training with the Detroit Lions has Cannon polished in that regard. It’s the nuance of pass coverage that needs improvement.
“His number one strength is his ability to diagnose,” said Barker. “Toughest thing for him is coverage, but he’s got the physical tools that you need.”
Physical tools and football smarts can take you a long way, something more can take you farther. Barker believes Cannon has it.
“He’s the kind of guy who flourishes in this league because he loves to play. He’s grateful for his opportunity.”
Grateful, in part, because Anthony Cannon was completely out of pro football for nearly two years. After three seasons with the Lions, he found himself on the outside with a serious shoulder injury. A torn labrum needed to be repaired. When it was, Cannon couldn’t find football work.
He spent those years employed as a personal trainer and helping with outreach services for at-risk youth. He’s still involved with mentoring programs during the off-season. Losing football for that time did two things for him: Allowed him to be ever present just after his son was born (“It was kind of like a blessing in disguise”) and recalibrated his expectations after being pampered with the NFL lifestyle.
“I know what it’s like to go to work everyday, you know, after being a professional football player. I know what it’s like.”
He also knows what it’s like to be on a struggling football team. His last season with Detroit, the Lions went 0 and 16. That was fuel for Cannon’s quest to be as professional as he could be. The lesson was to not worry or complain about what the other guy is doing.
“That’s what I try to do; just focus on me. If I make myself better, then ultimately, the team will get better.”
Something to think about, the next time you’re waiting at a bus stop.
THE EXTRA POINT
He may have plenty of pro football experience, but Cannon still feels like a rookie, that’s for sure.
“This game is totally different. To me, being a rookie is being a novice. Not really knowing the ins and outs. Not being able to rely on your experience. The motion, the sets; that stuff is all new to me.”
There have been rookie mistakes. Some of them off the field. He missed the train to Montreal earlier this season (He made the game and had 11 tackles that night). Another time, he made departure time, but some of his equipment didn’t.
“Once, for a road game, I left my shoes here and had to have them shipped to the hotel.”
No valet service in the CFL, rookie. You pack your own shoes.