Raymond Fontaine is a former professional
Canadian football
Canadian football () is a team sport, 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 sco ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
. He was drafted by the Argonauts in the second round of the
2005 CFL Draft
The 2005 CFL Draft took place on Thursday, April 28, 2005 at 11:30 AM ET. 53 players were chosen from among eligible players from Canadian Universities across the country, as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA. Of the 53 draft selections ...
. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...
.
Early years
Fontaine was born on September 1, 1980,
[The Argos 2007 Media Guide lists birth date as September 1 but the CFL's 2007 ''Facts, Figures, and Records'' lists birth date as January 9.] in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. For eight years he played
junior football with the Myers Riders.
College career
As a true freshman at
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
, Fontaine was
redshirted
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
.
In 2002, as a redshirt freshman, Fontaine played in all of Kentucky's 12 games while playing
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
.
He recorded nine
tackles.
Fontaine played in 11 games as a sophomore in 2003 recording 33 tackles.
He recorded a career-high six tackles against
Louisville and
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
.
During his junior season in 2004 at Kentucky, Fontaine played in 11 games and started three at
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
.
For the second straight season he recorded 33 tackles and added one
sack.
As a senior in 2005, he played in 11 games, recording 19 tackles.
Fontaine also added two blocked kicks for the first time in his career.
Professional career
Toronto Argonauts
Fontaine was drafted 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 ...
in the second round of the
2005 CFL Draft
The 2005 CFL Draft took place on Thursday, April 28, 2005 at 11:30 AM ET. 53 players were chosen from among eligible players from Canadian Universities across the country, as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA. Of the 53 draft selections ...
but re-joined Kentucky for his senior season. He signed with Toronto on May 17, 2006.
As a rookie, Fontaine played in all 18 games and made appearances at
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
and
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
.
He led the Argonauts and was second in the CFL in special teams tackles with 23.
In his debut on July 6, 2006, he dressed as the backup linebacker and made appearances on special teams.
He recorded his first defensive tackle in week 6, where he was in the game in third down and goal line situations.
Against
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
he led all players with three tackles.
During the 2006 playoffs he appeared mainly on special teams, recording two tackles in the East Championship game against the
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...
.
After the season, he was named the Argonauts rookie of the year.
In
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, Fontaine played in 16 of 18 games for Toronto, mainly as a backup
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
and special teams.
He finished second on the team in special teams tackles with 18.
Although he was transferred from linebacker to defensive end during
training camp he appeared at
middle linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
in place of
Mike O'Shea in week 6 against
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
.
In week 17 at Winnipeg he arguably had his best special teams game recording, a blocked punt and a forced fumble both returned for touchdowns.
After his performance he was named CFL Special Teams Player of the Week.
Fontaine recorded his stat of
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
in week 2 against the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...
, getting one special teams tackle.
In week 6 against
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
, Fontaine recorded one big tackle in the open field, and then against Hamilton in week 7 he recorded two special teams tackles.
He recorded his first defensive tackle of the season in week 8.
On September 1, 2010, Fontaine was released by the Argonauts.
Montreal Alouettes
Fontaine was later signed with the
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...
during that same season, culminating in a win in the
98th Grey Cup.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fontaine, Raymond
1980 births
Living people
Black Canadian players of Canadian football
Canadian football linebackers
Canadian people of Haitian descent
Kentucky Wildcats football players
Montreal Alouettes players
Canadian football people from Ottawa
Players of Canadian football from Ontario
Toronto Argonauts players
Franco-Ontarian people