Anthony Coombs (born October 26, 1992) is a professional

Canadian football Canadian football () is a sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's scoring area ( ...

wide receiver who is a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. He most recently played for the

Ottawa Redblacks The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) (French: Le Rouge et Noir d'Ottawa) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Starting ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL). He played Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) football with the

Manitoba Bisons The Manitoba Bisons are the athletic teams that represent the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The football team plays their games at Investors Group Field. The soccer team play their home games at the University of Manit ...

Professional career

Toronto Argonauts

In the CFL's Amateur Scouting Bureau final rankings, Coombs was ranked eighth best of the players eligible in the 2014 CFL Draft. He was then drafted third overall by the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

and signed with the team on May 27, 2014. In his first three seasons, Coombs was mostly used as a backup or rotational player behind starting tailback

Curtis Steele Curtis Devon Steele (born March 24, 1987) is a Canadian football running back who is currently a free agent. He was most recently a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He has also played for the Toronto A ...

and later

Brandon Whitaker Brandon Marcel Whitaker (born September 7, 1985) is a professional Canadian football running back who is currently a free agent, having most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed as an undra ...

. In Coombs' fourth season in the league, and first under new head coach

Marc Trestman Marc Marlyn Trestman (born January 15, 1956) is an American football and Canadian football coach. He led the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) to back-to-back Grey Cup victories in 2009 and 2010, and another as head coac ...

, his role in the offense expanded greatly; averaging 5.2 receptions per game. On August 22, mid-way through the season, it was announced that Coombs would have to undergo shoulder surgery. At the time, Trestman said he was hopeful Coombs could return to action before the end of the season. Indeed he did, as he played in the last game of the regular season on November 4, 2017, recording two catches for 31 yards. In the East Final against the

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in ...

, Coombs had a team-leading nine receptions for 77 yards and one carry for three yards. He dressed in the

105th Grey Cup The 105th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 2017, between the Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. In a re-match of the 100th Grey Cup, the Argonauts won the game 27–24, winning their 17th cham ...

game, but did not record any stats as his team went on to win the Grey Cup championship over the

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-o ...

. Coombs began the 2018 Toronto Argonauts season on the one-game injured list before being transferred to the six-game injured list as he recovered from an ankle injury. Coombs played in only two games in 2018 as he struggled to stay healthy. Following the season, he was re-signed by the Argos to a one-year contract. However, he was released during 2019 training camp on June 5, 2019.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

On June 19, 2019, Coombs signed a practice roster agreement with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He played in 16 regular season games where he rushed 37 times for 158 yards and had 20 receptions 156 yards and two touchdowns.

Ottawa Redblacks

Upon entering free agency, Coombs signed with the

on February 11, 2020. However, he did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the

2020 CFL season The 2020 CFL season would have been the 67th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it would have been the 63rd season of the Canadian Football League. It was originally scheduled to begin on June 11; on April 7, the start of the ...

and re-signed with the Redblacks on January 26, 2021. In 2021, Coombs played in 11 games where he had 28 receptions for 247 yards. He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 8, 2022.

References

External links

Ottawa Redblacks bioCIS Bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coombs, Anthony 1992 births Living people Canadian football running backs Manitoba Bisons football players Canadian football people from Winnipeg Toronto Argonauts players Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Ottawa Redblacks players Players of Canadian football from Manitoba