MontrealAlouettes.com
MONTREAL – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Tuesday the retirement of receiver Kerry Watkins.
|
|
|
Kerry Watkins. |
Watkins ends his stellar eight-year career having tallied 515 catches, 7,431 yards and 48 touchdowns. Watkins reached an important career milestone last season against Winnipeg when he caught his 500th career pass, surpassing Red O’Quinn into the No. 2 spot on the Alouettes’ all-time list behind only leader Ben Cahoon.
“We congratulate Kerry for a fantastic career and thank him for helping us build such a successful football team,” said general manager Jim Popp of Watkins who was a key contributor to the back-to-back Grey Cups won by the Alouettes in 2009 and 2010.
Watkins eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in five consecutive seasons from 2005 through 2009. In 2010, he hauled in 970 yards, but an injury sidelined him for five games, leaving him 30 yards shy from accomplishing the feat for a sixth time in as many years.
Watkins’ breakout campaign came in 2005 when he reeled in a career-high 97 passes and set a new career-best with 1,364 yards. That season, he was the first of four different Alouettes receivers (Cahoon, Terry Vaughn, and Dave Stala,) to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark.
Limited due to injury last season, Watkins caught 31 passes for 395 yards and three touchdowns. He missed the early part of 2011 due to sinus problems and then suffered a fracture of the right fibula against Calgary on October 30 which caused him to miss the East Division Semi-Final at Olympic Stadium.
Watkins was a CFL All-Star in 2005 and 2009 and was named a CFLPA All-Star on four separate occasions (2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009).
