Marcus Crandell Signs One-Day Contract to Retire as Member of the Stampeders
June 5, 2025 - Canadian Football League (CFL)
Calgary Stampeders News Release
Marcus Crandell with the Calgary Stampeders
(Calgary Stampeders)
Marcus Crandell, who quarterbacked the Calgary Stampeders to the 2001 Grey Cup championship, has signed a one-day contract with the team in order to officially retire as a member of the Red and White.
"First and foremost," said Crandell, "I'd like to thank my Heavenly Father, for all he has done, is doing and will do for me. All glory belongs to him for this moment of my life. I also give thanks to all family and friends who supported the Stampeders organization during the 2001 Grey Cup year and beyond.
"To the Calgary Stampeders organization, thank you for taking a young man who was born in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, but raised in the small town of Robersonville, North Carolina, who had big dreams of becoming a professional quarterback. This organization is truly a class act when it comes to professional sports.
"I am grateful for all the time spent in the city of Calgary and performing in the presence of some of the best fans in the league. Another blessing is to have played for a great coaching staff assembled by the legend Wally Buono.
"Many thanks go out to my teammates for the hard work they displayed day in and day out as we strived to achieve success.
"A special thanks to my children, Carmelo, Darius, Malia Crandell and their mom Mona Crandell. Although our children weren't born during my time as a Stampeder, God had/has a plan for them and I thank their mom Mona for enduring the ups and downs that came with me playing the game I loved and giving birth to all three of them. I love you all.
"In closing, thank you Jay McNeil, Dave Dickenson and all who have been a part of making this announcement come to fruition, after many years of contemplating it. For that, I am forever grateful."
Crandell played four seasons - 2001-04 - with the Stampeders. Statistically, the 2002 campaign was his best as he threw for 4,072 yards and 26 touchdowns but it's for his heroics in 2001 that he will be most fondly remembered in Calgary.
With the Stamps sitting at 5-9 in early October that season and in jeopardy of missing the playoffs, Crandell led the team to three wins in the final four games of the regular season to earn a post-season berth.
Crandell was then nearly flawless in the Stamps' march to the Grey Cup as he threw nine touchdown passes without a single interception in wins over BC, Edmonton and Winnipeg. By tossing for 309 yards and connecting with Marc Boerigter and Travis Moore on TD passes, Crandell earned Grey Cup MVP honours as the Stamps stunned the heavily favoured Blue Bombers 27-19 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
"I'm very happy that Marcus gets this opportunity to retire as a member of the Stampeders," said team president Jay McNeil, a former Calgary offensive lineman who was Crandell's teammate for all four seasons the QB was a Stamp. "I'll never forget Marcus' contributions to our Grey Cup championship in 2001. We had a slow start and had to win the final game of the regular season just to get into the playoffs.
"We believed in ourselves when nobody else in the country gave us a chance but we hit our stride down the stretch and it was Marcus leading the way, capped off by an MVP performance in the Grey Cup game."
Before coming to Calgary, Crandell played for Edmonton as well as for the Scottish Claymores in NFL Europe and Memphis in the original XFL. He concluded his career with a four-year stint with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
He later spent time on CFL coaching staffs with Saskatchewan, Edmonton and the Ottawa Redblacks.
Crandell will be in attendance at Saturday's home-opener against Hamilton along with fellow Grey Cup-winning alumni Doug Flutie, Mark McLoughlin, Nik Lewis, Jeremaine Copeland, Jon Cornish and Alex Singleton to help the Stampeders organization celebrate its 80th birthday. Kickoff at McMahon Stadium is 5 p.m. MDT.
Images from this story
 Marcus Crandell with the Calgary Stampeders |
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