Edmonton's J.C. Sherritt celebrates his fumble recovery against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during CFL action in Winnipeg on June 14, 2018.John Woods/The Canadian Press
Linebacker J.C. Sherritt retired Wednesday after spending his entire eight-year CFL career with the Edmonton Eskimos.
Sherritt, 30, was the CFL’s top defensive player in 2012 and helped Edmonton capture the Grey Cup in 2015. The California native appeared in 109 career games, registering 552 tackles, 15 sacks, 17 forced fumbles, 14 interceptions, six fumble recoveries and one TD.
“J.C. will go down as one of the best Eskimos of all time,” Brock Sunderland, Edmonton’s GM/vice-president of football operations, said in a statement. “He defines what it means to do things the Eskimo Way, and I know he will have as much success in his post-playing career as he did on the field.”
The five-foot-nine, 218-pound Sherritt had 100 tackles, two interceptions and three sacks last season after missing most of 2017 with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“The last eight years in the Green and Gold have been one of the greatest honours and experiences of my life,” Sherritt said. “I have had opportunities and developed relationships that would not have been possible without this great country and without this league.
“My admiration and love for this country and league will last for the rest of my life, and I wake up a better person due to my time in the CFL.”