On Marc Calixte’s retirement, and the CFL’s off-the-radar special-teams stars

When you think of the Calgary Stampeders, who's the first player to come to mind? A quarterback, like Drew Tate or Kevin Glenn? Star running back Jon Cornish? A top receiver like Nik Lewis, or a top defender like Keon Raymond? They all have key roles to play, of course, but none of those guys are the longest-serving members of the team. That would be Canadian linebacker Marc Calixte, who played for the Stampeders from 2003 until Tuesday, when he officially announced his retirement. Calixte never really got a ton of attention, but he was an effective contributor for Calgary for a decade, and his retirement provides an excellent chance to shine a light on a remarkably underrated CFL job: the special-teams ace. Here's what Calgary head coach and general manager John Hufnagel said about Calixte in the team's release:

One pitfall of football coverage is that it can be too easy to focus on those who put up the eye-popping stats; quarterbacks, high-production running backs and receivers, and defenders who always appear in the box score. There's a lot going on beyond that, though, from the linemen fighting it out in the trenches every play to the defensive back whose coverage forces the quarterback to throw elsewhere to the kickers, punters and returners. Still, even amongst the oft-overlooked, the special teams players who don't kick or return draw less attention than the rest. Their contributions are crucial, though. Whether clearing assigned lanes and perfectly executing blocks to free up a returner or shedding blocks to bring down an opposing returner, a good special-teams player can make a huge difference in his team's field position, and that can quickly lead to points and wins.

Calixte's an excellent example of that. He's never really stood out on the depth charts (he was listed as a third-string outside linebacker in last season's opener), but he's been an important part of the Stampeders' special teams units for a full decade since finishing his college career at the University of Tennessee-Martin (Division I-FCS). He's particularly excelled at tracking down opposing returners, notching 91 special-teams tackles in his career and hitting double digits in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. The last two seasons have been tough for Calixte, as he's battled through significant injuries (including blowing out his knee last year), but he still leaves a substantial void for the Stampeders to fill. His retirement also presents a good occasion to recognize some of the unsung special-teams heroes in this league, such as Montreal's Daryl Townsend (26 special-teams tackles last season) and Calgary's Karl McCartney (22). They may not get the ink of guys who top offensive or defensive depth charts and put up eye-popping stats, but like Calixte, their contributions can be critical too. The Stampeders will have a tough time replacing such a crucial player, even if his worth wasn't always heavily publicized.