Ben Cahoon

Ben Cahoon (born July 16, 1972) is a former professional Canadian football slotback who spent his entire career with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He won the award for the Most Outstanding Canadian in the CFL two years in a row in 2002 and 2003.

Ben Cahoon
No. 86
Cahoon in 2007
Born: (1972-07-16) July 16, 1972
Orem, Utah
Career information
CFL statusNational
Position(s)SB
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight185 lb (84 kg)
CollegeBrigham Young
CFL draft1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6
Drafted byMontreal Alouettes
Career history
As player
1998–2010Montreal Alouettes
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star1999, 2004, 2008
CFL East All-Star1999, 2000, 2002–2009
AwardsCFL Most Outstanding Canadian 2002, 2003
HonoursGrey Cup Champion 2002, 2009, 2010
RecordsReceptions in a career in the CFL, Receptions by a Canadian receiver in a career, Receptions by a Canadian receiver in a season, Touchdowns by an Alouette, Receiving yards in a career in Grey Cup games, Receptions in a career in Grey Cup Games, Receptions in a career (1,017).
Career stats
  • Playing stats at CFL.ca (archive)

At the time of his retirement after the 2010 season, Cahoon ranked sixth overall in career receiving yards with 13,301 yards and the all-time leader overall in pass receptions with 1,017. He is also the all-time leading receiver in Grey Cup history with 46 receptions and 658 receiving yards.[1]

Honors
  • Grey Cup Most Outstanding Canadian: 2003, 2009
  • CFL Most Outstanding Canadian: 2002, 2003
  • East Division Most Outstanding Canadian: 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009
  • Alouettes' Most Outstanding Player: 2006, 2007
  • Alouettes' Most Outstanding Canadian: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
  • CFL All-Star: 1999, 2004, 2008
  • East Division All-Star: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
  • CFLPA All-Star: 2002
  • CFLPA East Division All-Star: 1999,2000,2001,2002 2003, 2004, 2005
  • No. 86 retired by Montreal Alouettes: July 29, 2016

Cahoon had caught at least one pass in 202 of his last 203 games and at least one pass in each of his last 144 games.[2][3]

Early years

Cahoon spent part of his childhood in Cardston, Alberta, and is therefore considered a non-import under the CFL's import/non-import ratio rule.[4]

Cahoon was born in Utah but qualified as a Canadian in the CFL because his parents were Canadian and he spent time as a youth in Alberta. Throughout his career Cahoon steadfastly maintained he felt he was Canadian despite being born in the U.S. and attending both high school and college in Utah.[5]

Cahoon played his high school sports at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah, where he earned All-Region and All-State honors in football, basketball, and soccer. He was named Mountain View's Athlete of the Year in 1990.

College career

Cahoon played two seasons (1993–94) at Ricks College, now known as Brigham Young University–Idaho, in Rexburg, Idaho. He set school records for most receptions and most receiving yards in a single season and in a career. In 1994, he ranked second in the nation in receiving and was named Junior College All-American. He transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He played in every game for the Cougars in 1996, when BYU became the first Division I-A team in NCAA history to win 14 games in a single season. In his senior year (1997), Cahoon became BYU's top receiver with 84 catches. He averaged 84.6 receiving yards per game during that season including an 8-catch, 217-yard performance in the Cougars' 13–10 win at Arizona State University.

Professional career

Montreal Alouettes

He was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes in the first round (sixth overall) in the 1998 CFL Draft. He won the 90th Grey Cup, 97th Grey Cup and 98th Grey Cup with Montreal in 2002, 2009 and 2010. He was named Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian in both 2002 and 2009. His number with the Montreal Alouettes is 86. His jersey was retired on July 29, 2016 at Percival Molson Stadium in Montréal.

In 2004, Cahoon was part of a CFL precedent with four receivers on one team reaching the 1000-yard mark in one season: Cahoon with 1183 yards, Jeremaine Copeland with 1154 yards, Thyron Anderson with 1147 yards, and Kwame Cavil with 1090 yards. The 2005 Montreal Alouettes would repeat this feat, with Cahoon the only player repeating: the four receivers consisted of Kerry Watkins (1364 yards), Terry Vaughn (1113 yards), Cahoon (1067 yards), and Dave Stala (1037 yards).

On August 2, 2007, Cahoon kicked a game winning 22-yard field goal in overtime in a 30–27 victory over the Toronto Argonauts.[6] He replaced Damon Duval, who had been ejected from the game.[7]

Ben Cahoon stands only 5'9, but is able to bench press 225 lbs 19 times. He is also considered to be one of the greatest slotbacks ever, and was nominated with Anthony Calvillo for the CFL Greatest QB-WR Combo of All Time. He was named an East Division All-Star in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. He has also been named a CFL All Star on numerous occasions. In 2008, Cahoon broke Peter Dalla Riva's record for most touchdowns ever by an Alouette receiver. He has had nine 1,000 yard receiving seasons, including a streak of eight straight.

On December 15, 2008, Cahoon re-signed with the Alouettes, where the deal called for a one-year contract with an option. This enabled him to play his 12th CFL season, all of them with the Montreal Alouettes. On May 14, 2010 Cahoon confirmed his return for the 2010 season.

On October 11, 2010, in a home game against the Calgary Stampeders, Cahoon became the CFL's all-time reception leader, catching his 1,007th career pass from Anthony Calvillo in the 4th quarter. The previous record of 1,006 was held by Terry Vaughn.

On January 26, 2011, Cahoon announced his retirement.[8]

In 2014, Cahoon was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. On July 29, 2016, his number 86 was retired by the Montreal Alouettes in a ceremony during half-time of their game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Coaching career

On February 1, 2011, Brigham Young University head football coach, Bronco Mendenhall, announced Ben Cahoon would join the BYU coaching staff as the wide receivers coach.[9] He served in that role through the end of the 2012 season, after which the school re-hired its former offensive coordinator Robert Anae, leading to Cahoon being released on January 15, 2013.[10] Cahoon returned to the coaching staff for the 2016 season under new head coach Kalani Sitake and offensive coordinator Ty Detmer for 2 seasons. [11]

Statistics
Receiving   Regular season   Playoffs
Year Team Games Catch Yards Avg Long TD Games No. Yards Avg Long TD
1998 MTL 18 33 471 14.3 36 3 2 0 0 0.0 0 0
1999 MTL 18 52 846 16.1 48 2 1 5 67 13.4 23 0
2000 MTL 18 71 1,022 14.4 73 5 1 3 95 31.7 59 1
2001 MTL 18 56 809 14.4 68 1 1 2 29 14.5 20 0
2002 MTL 18 75 1,060 14.2 52 6 2 5 62 12.2 15 0
2003 MTL 18 112 1,561 13.9 66 13 2 11 182 16.5 69 2
2004 MTL 16 93 1,183 12.7 60 6 1 7 109 15.6 25 0
2005 MTL 14 73 1,067 14.6 73 9 3 21 288 13.7 52 1
2006 MTL 17 99 1,190 12.0 51 4 2 14 174 12.4 25 0
2007 MTL 17 90 1,127 12.5 97 5 1 2 30 15.0 19 0
2008 MTL 17 107 1,231 11.5 29 7 2 13 183 14.1 35 0
2009 MTL 18 89 1,031 11.6 30 2 2 7 76 10.9 18 1
2010 MTL 17 67 703 10.5 29 2 2 6 58 9.7 17 0
CFL totals 224 1017 13,301 13.1 97 65 23 92 1353 14.7 69 5

Personal life

Cahoon was owner of Power Pad Insoles, LLC, a company that sells performance enhancing insoles.

Cahoon and his wife, Kimberli, have four daughters. As a result of his marriage, he is the son-in-law of current Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert.

A devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cahoon said he disliked playing football on Sunday, which he believed should be reserved for rest and prayer.[12]

References
  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-11. Retrieved 2011-08-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. Beacon, Bill (2009-09-19). "Alouettes vow not to let up against struggling Bombers". The Canadian Press. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  3. "Ben Cahoon record watch". Montreal Alouettes Football Club. Archived from the original on 2010-07-17. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
  4. The Canadian Press (2008-07-03). "Cahoon to return in backup role as Alouettes face Bombers". TSN.ca. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
  5. "Bidding adieu: Ben Cahoon calls it a career – CFL.ca". 26 January 2011.
  6. CFL (3 August 2007). "CFL TOR at MTL- August 2, 2007" – via YouTube.
  7. The Canadian Press (2007-08-03). "Cahoon kicks Als past Argos in overtime". TSN.ca. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
  8. "(no title)". Toronto Sun. Cite uses generic title (help)
  9. Call, Jeff (1 February 2011). "BYU football: Ben Cahoon hired as wide receivers coach".
  10. Call, Jeff (January 15, 2013). "BYU football: Ben Cahoon and Joe DuPaix out, Max Hall interviews for QB coach job, Brandon Doman's future uncertain". Deseret News. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  11. "Official Home Of The BYU Cougars". Byucougars.com. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
  12. Zurkowsky, Herb (September 19, 2009). "Sundays sacred to Als' Cahoon". Montreal Gazette. Canwest. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
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