Former CFL cornerback Davis Sanchez makes strong run at the World Series of Poker
Davis Sanchez is no stranger to performing under pressure. The Canadian cornerback won Grey Cups in 2005, 2009 and 2011, led the league with nine interceptions in 2000 and generally stood out during his 11 CFL seasons with Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton and B.C. (plus two NFL seasons with San Diego) before retiring this offseason with little fanfare. This week saw him taking on a new challenge, though, competing in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Sanchez ultimately was eliminated, but managed to make it to the last level of play on the third day. If he keeps that kind of performance up, Roberto Luongo (who eventually lost Friday) may not be the only notable Canadian athlete-turned-poker player.
Sanchez ran into some hard luck during his tournament run, and that will be familiar to those who followed his football career. He had exceptional talent (Sanchez was the only Canadian starting at corner in the CFL during much of his career; this CBC story says he was the only one for his whole career, but that's overlooking Hamilton's Ryan Hinds and possibly others), but often suffered some brutal injuries, and missed playing in both the 2005 and 2011 Grey Cups as a result. Similarly, in the round that saw him eliminated, Sanchez made a reasonable move, going all-in pre-flop from the big blind position with an ace and a jack. However, that set up a head-to-head with another player, who wound up having an ace and a queen, and the table cards included both a queen and a jack, sending Sanchez home. That's a tough poker loss, but he gave it a valiant effort and deserves credit for making it this far.
It's worth noting that Sanchez doesn't need a poker career to be successful after football, though. He's involved with youth-development programs through Game Ready Fitness, and has been working as the conditioning coach for former Lions' teammate Paris Jackson's high school team, proving he's just one more CFL player who's done well off the field after hanging up the cleats. If poker works out for him, terrific, but if not, it looks like Sanchez will find plenty of other ways to make an impact. He certainly did that in the CFL.