I’m a forgotten Super Bowl champion who suffered two serious injuries before the NFL draft – now I have a new, successful career ahead of me
CHRIS Canty overcame all the trials and tribulations to become the Super Bowl champion he is today.
The former NFL defensive end, 40, has also had a booming new career since retiring from the league in 2015.
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Canty didn’t play football until his high school season.
Before attending the University of Virginia, he was a standout high school pass rusher in North Carolina.
In 2003, Candy was named second-team All-ACC in his junior season.
Unfortunately, his senior season ended in the fourth game of the year when he tore the ACL, ACL and ACL in his left knee.
Then, three months before the 2005 NFL Draft, Canty suffered a serious eye injury at a nightclub in Scottsdale, Arizona.
He was hit in the eye with a beer bottle as he tried to leave a bar after a fight broke out, resulting in a detached retina that required emergency surgery.
In an exclusive interview with The US Sun, Canty, 40, spoke about dealing with the two injuries during the pre-draft process, calling it the “hardest part of my life.”
Canty was also not allowed to go higher than 5,000 feet due to his eye injury and had to take the train to the NFL draft combine.
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“I have to take the train from Scottsdale, Arizona, where I trained, to Indianapolis without climbing more than 5,000 feet,” Canty told the US Sun.
“There are not many opportunities in the country to achieve this.”
“But there was one I could reach.
“I think it took three train transfers and I had to stay in a hotel room one night in San Antonio where they actually had real hotel keys and not a key card.”
“That was fun.”
Because of the two injuries, Canty would fall from a potential first-round pick in the 2005 draft to a fourth-round selection by the Dallas Cowboys.
The defensive end played in every regular season game over the next four seasons, recording 10 sacks and 149 total tackles in 64 appearances.
In 2009, the New York Giants signed Canty to a six-year contract worth $42 million.
Two years later, in 2011, he recorded career highs in tackles (47) and sacks (4) as the Giants en route to beating the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl 46.
Canty, who started the legendary game, loved the “ride” to the Super Bowl more than anything.
“I played in the league for 11 years … and that was the only time I had that feeling,” he said. “And I’m grateful that I had the privilege of being able to have that feeling.”
The Giants released Canty in 2013 as the veteran played with the Baltimore Ravens for three seasons before retiring in 2015.
In his 11 seasons, the veteran defensive back had 234 solo tackles, 122 assists and 22.5 sacks in 148 games played.
But Canty was already preparing for his post-retirement career during his NFL days – and that was working in the world of sports media.
He participated in sports radio and television shows throughout his NFL career, which continued after his retirement.
His outgoing personality coupled with sports knowledge led him to join the ESPN radio show “DiPietro, Canty & Rothenberg” in New York City in 2021 alongside Dave Rothenberg and former NHL star Rick DiPietro.
On September 5, Canty joined ESPN Radio and ESPN 2’s national morning show “Unsportsmanlike with Cohen, Canty, and Michelle.”
As for working with co-hosts Evan Cohen and Michelle Smallmon, Canty believes they “found a good groove early on.”
He continued: “I think we found a good mix of fun but also original recordings with good information.”
“But [we’re also] Don’t lose sight of the fact that it’s entertainment.”
Canty also told the US Sun that Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, former NFL legend Chris Carter and longtime sports radio host Bill Daughtry have helped him the most on his sports media journey.
The 40-year-old rising ESPN star appears on “First Take and Get Up.”
“Being around all these different people and seeing what makes them special is inspiring and makes me want to be the best version of myself,” Canty said.
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