Toronto Argonauts Linebacker, Grey Cup MVP Retires from CFL
All good things must come to an end with the Toronto Argonauts feeling the effects of that. The CFL posted on social media Monday that Argos linebacker Henoc Muamba has retired from football after 11 seasons played in the league.
Muamba was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 CFL Draft to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers where he played his first three seasons. In the 2013 season, he was named a CFL All-Star and CFL East All-Star for the first time.
“I’m forever grateful to God for endowing me with the skills and the ability to play football at a professional level,” Muamba said in a statement posted on 3DownNation. “I pray everyone reading this can also discover the hidden gifts within themselves like I did years ago. It’s been a tremendous journey. Football has taken me to so many cities and more importantly, allowed me to meet some amazing individuals.”
The NFL came calling with the Indianapolis Colts in 2014 and 2015. He would return to the CFL in 2015 signing with the Montreal Alouettes, but never played for the team after being released in early 2016. Shortly afterward, Muamba went back to the NFL to play for the Dallas Cowboys before getting released at the end of training camp.
A champ, forever.
— CFL (@CFL) February 26, 2024
Congratulations to Henoc Muamba on his retirement!#CFL | @HenocMuamba pic.twitter.com/RKf4yFThmk
Once again, Muamba was back in the CFL and this time staying for good spending the 2016 and 2017 seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. His 93 tackles, three forced fumbles and two interceptions in 2017 helped secure him the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian award.
Montreal and Muamba reunited for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He continued to excel with his CFL career earning, a 2018 CFL East All-Star selection and made his second CFL All-Star team in 2019.
For the last three seasons, the 35-year-old linebacker has played for the Argos, winning his first Grey Cup with the team in 2022. His stellar performance in the game earned him the MVP and Most Valuable Canadian award after picking off Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros late in the fourth quarterback returning it for a touchdown to seal the win.
Muamba initially retired from football after the 2022 season but decided to come back for one more year. Injury prevented him from playing the entire 2023 season for Toronto.
He finishes his career with 688 total tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, 18 pass deflections, 14 forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and seven interceptions in 135 games.
Muamba has not announced what is next for him. There is a legitimate argument for Muamba being a candidate for the Hall of Fame with his impact on Canadian football over the last decade.
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Anthony Miller has been covering professional spring football since 2019 including XFL, USFL, and CFL. He was a local news reporter in Texas before transitioning to sports. Other sites he writes for includes College Football Network and NTZ Network.