Chris Schultz
{{Short description|Canadian football player and sports commentator (1960–2021)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Chris Schultz
| image =
| caption =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 8
| weight_lbs = 277
| position = Offensive tackle
| number = 66, 67
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1960|2|16}}
| birth_place = Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|3|4|1960|2|16}}
| death_place = Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| draftyear = 1983
| draftround = 7
| draftpick = 189
| cfldraftyear = 1982
| cfldraftround = 1
| cfldraftpick = 7
| high_school = Burlington (ON) Aldershot
| college = Arizona
| pastteams =
- Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|1983}}–{{NFL Year|1985}})
- Toronto Argonauts ({{CFL Year|1986}}–{{CFL Year|1994}})
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 21
| highlights =
- Grey Cup champion (1991)
- 2× CFL All-Star (1987, 1988)
- 3× CFL East All-Star (1987, 1988, 1991)
- Toronto Argonauts All-time team
| pfr = SchuCh21
}}
Christopher Schultz (February 16, 1960 – March 4, 2021) was a Canadian professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He primarily played with the CFL Toronto Argonauts. Schultz played college football at the University of Arizona. He was a sportscaster with Canadian sports television channel TSN.
Early life
Schultz attended Aldershot High School in Burlington, Ontario, where he was a part of 2 football championships. He also practiced basketball.
He accepted a football scholarship from the University of Arizona. He was recruited by Arizona head coach Tony Mason as a defensive tackle.
As a redshirt freshman, he was named a starter at defensive tackle, where he played his first three years.
One of the strongest players on the team, he was converted into a left tackle as a senior, after the team experienced a rash of injuries on the offensive line.{{cite web|title=Chris Schultz, 61, joined Arizona Wildcats from Canada as unknown talent|url=https://allsportstucson.com/2021/03/06/chris-schultz-61-joined-arizona-wildcats-from-canada-as-unknown-talent/|publisher=Allsportstucson.com|date=March 6, 2021 |access-date=October 5, 2024}}
In 2015, he was inducted into the Burlington Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite web|title=Chris Schultz - Football |url=https://www.burlingtonsportshalloffame.ca/inductees_/22375/t23607-schultz--chris|access-date=October 5, 2024}} In 2016, he was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite web|title=Fernandez put Cleveland in its last WS, now Ontario HOFer|url=https://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/canadian-baseball-network-articles//fernandez-put-cleveland-in-its-last-ws-inducted-into-ontario-hof|publisher=Canadianbaseballnetwork.com|date=October 24, 2016 |access-date=October 5, 2024}}
Professional career
=Dallas Cowboys=
Schultz was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round (189th overall) of the 1983 NFL draft. He was also selected by the Arizona Wranglers in the 1983 USFL Territorial Draft. As a rookie, he appeared in five games on special teams.
In 1984, he injured his right knee in the third preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. On August 21, he was placed on the injured reserve list.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19840822&id=i4ZiAAAAIBAJ&pg=3785,3363183|title=Dallas Puts Randy White On Hold |publisher=Observer-Reporter |date=August 22, 1984 |access-date=October 5, 2024}}
In 1985, Phil Pozderac injured his knee during the third game of the season, which opened the door for Schultz to start at left tackle, only to return to a backup role when Pozderac was healthy. He eventually regained the starting position from the thirteenth game until the playoffs, but struggled while playing against the Los Angeles Rams.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-01-05-sp-24709-story.html |title=Unable to Do Any Kicking, Cowboys Take Their Licking |first=Gene |last=Wojciechowski |date=January 5, 1986 |publisher=Los Angeles Times |access-date=October 5, 2024}} He appeared in 16 games with 8 starts. He was waived on August 26, 1986.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19860827&id=OP1TAAAAIBAJ&pg=4331,7377866|title=Dallas Cowboys |publisher=Boca Raton News |date=August 27, 1986 |access-date=October 5, 2024}}
=Toronto Argonauts=
In 1986, Schultz returned to Canada to play for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL), who owned his rights after drafting him in the first round of the 1982 CFL Draft.
He played in 124 games for the Argos over his nine-year career.{{cite web | url = http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Toronto/2007/07/05/4315137-sun.html | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130115083724/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Toronto/2007/07/05/4315137-sun.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 15, 2013 | accessdate = 2007-07-17 | author = Simmons, Steve | title = Pick of the Argos crop | publisher = SLAM! Sports | date = May 7, 2007}} Schultz was named a CFL All-Star twice (1987, 1988), appeared in the Grey Cup in 1987 and was a member of the 1991 Grey Cup championship team.
In 2007, he was named to the Argonauts All-time team.
Broadcasting career
Schultz was a CFL football sportscaster on The Sports Network from 1998 to 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.cfl.ca/2023/03/16/solomon-elimimian-john-bowman-headline-2023-cfhof-class/ |title=Solomon Elimimian, John Bowman headline 2023 CFHOF class |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=March 16, 2023 |access-date=October 5, 2024}} He also co-hosted a weekly one-hour sports radio program on TSN 1050 in Toronto, called Football Sunday with Mike Hogan during the CFL and NFL seasons. He was also the NFL Insider for TSN.
Schultz was announced as a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame 2023 class on March 16, 2023, in the media wing.
Personal life
Schultz died of a heart attack on March 4, 2021, at the age of 61.{{cite web|title=Former Argonauts offensive lineman, TSN analyst Chris Schultz dies at age 61|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/former-toronto-argonauts-lineman-chris-schultz-remembered-as-a-gentle-giant/article_bf2a2fd6-73d2-5d06-a3f0-275d97aeb304.html|date=March 5, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2024|publisher=The Canadian Press}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19851202&id=HzojAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EKYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5270,178926 Giant Schultz Gives America's Team' A Canadian Flavor]
{{CFL on TSN}}
{{Cowboys1983DraftPicks}}
{{79th Grey Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schultz, Chris}}
Category:American football offensive tackles
Category:Arizona Wildcats football players
Category:Canadian Football League announcers
Category:Canadian football offensive linemen
Category:Canadian people of German descent
Category:Players of American football from Ontario
Category:Canadian radio sportscasters
Category:Canadian television sportscasters
Category:Dallas Cowboys players
Category:Players of Canadian football from Ontario