Matthew Black (born March 1, 1985) is a former professional Canadian football defensive back who played ten seasons with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He won two Grey Cup championships in 2012 and 2017.
![]() | |||||||
No. 39 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Cornerback/Kick returner | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | (1985-03-01) March 1, 1985 (age 37) Toronto, Ontario | ||||||
Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 182 lb (83 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Northern | ||||||
College: | Saginaw Valley State | ||||||
CFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 6 / Pick: 45 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
| |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| |||||||
Career CFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Player stats at CFL.ca (archive) | |||||||
Black was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to parents Marlane and Donovan, and has a younger brother Eric and a younger sister Destiny. As young boy, Black was in a French immersion program at Market Lane School Public School in downtown Toronto. While playing football at Northern Secondary School in Toronto, Ontario, Black was named the Mid-Town Football Most Valuable Player. In addition to football, Black played rugby, ice hockey, baseball, and Track and field athletics at high school. He was also an all-star member of the Metro Toronto Wildcats of the Ontario Varsity Football League, where he was named the league's Most Outstanding Defensive Back.[1][2]
Black went on to play college football at Saginaw Valley State University where he studied communications and marketing and was a four-year starter for the Cardinals football team. He was redshirtted in 2004 but started all games in 2005 as a red-shirt freshman. In 2006, he led the Cardinals with a 14.8-yard punt return average and took 8 kickoff returns back for a total of 203 yards and a touchdown. Black was named to the Academic All-Conference team in 2007 and returned 12 punts for 91 yards in 8 games played. In his final season, Black, was named to the First-Team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team, selected to the Valero Cactus Bowl senior all-star game, recorded 42 tackles, 4 pass break-ups, and ranked third in the GLIAC with 5 interceptions for 119 yards, including 1 for a 19-yard touchdown. He earned a GLIAC Player of the Week honour in 2008 as well.[1]
Black was drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 CFL Draft by the Toronto Argonauts and signed to play on March 10, 2009.[3] In his first eight seasons with the club Black played in 109 games, with his two most significant seasons being 2013, when he contributed 34 tackles and 2016 when he set a career-high with 44. He was released by the Argos early in the 2017 season (having not played a game), but was re-signed a week later.[4] Black's interception in the final seconds of the 105th Grey Cup sealed a 27–24 victory for the Argos over the Calgary Stampeders. One day before becoming a free agent Black and the Argos agreed to a two-year contract extension.[5]
Toronto Argonauts 100th Grey Cup champions | |
---|---|
|
Toronto Argonauts 105th Grey Cup champions | |
---|---|
|
![]() | This biographical article relating to a Canadian football defensive back is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |