After two injury plagued seasons, one of the best Canadians to ever play in the CFL is walking away from the game.
Calgary Stampeders' running back Jon Cornish announced his retirement on Wednesday at McMahon Stadium and says he is lucky to have played here for the last nine years.
"I know a lot of people just hang on and I'm not a player that wants to hang on. I've done and accomplished the things I wanted to so it's time," said Cornish.
Cornish has been absent from the lineup since he took a hit in October from the Edmonton Eskimos’ Dexter McCoil and was placed in concussion protocol.
"Obviously concussions made me start to think about it, but I think there's a certain shelf-life every player has and being honest with what I'm capable of, do I think I could play two more seasons, three more seasons at a high level? Yea, I think the way I've build my game I could probably continue to play but at the same time, what risks am I putting myself at?" he said.
He started only nine games this past season but still led the league in rushing in 2014.
The 31-year-old has spent his entire CFL career with the Stampeders and rushed for 6844 yards and 44 touchdowns in that time.
In 2013, he was voted both the most outstanding player and most outstanding Canadian in the league and won his second consecutive rushing title with 1,813 yards, the fourth-highest total in CFL history.
The two-time Grey Cup champion says he made the decision to retire last year and that it was not based solely on football but also on opportunities off the field.
Cornish already works for RBC in the off-season and says he considers himself a "banker that had the opportunity to play football."
He says he will remain in Calgary and continue to be a concussion advocate.
