BEREA, OHIO -- Rocky River native and St. Edward alumnus Anthony Gardner was here at Baldwin-Wallace College this afternoon (Saturday, January 9, 2010) to publicly announce his signing of a contract to embark on a professional football career in France.
The Yellow Jacket quarterback, who just graduated last month from the College, has signed with the Cannes Iron Mask and is leaving next week to begin his first practice with his new team. He will be playing in the Division I French pro circuit, the highest of the three tiers of American Football in the country.
Cannes of course is a household name among movie buffs since it is the city where the Cannes Film Festival, the most prestigious annual awards ceremony of its kind in the world, is held.
"It will be an exciting place for me to be staying; the French Riviera is right there," said Gardner. "I am doing it more for experience than anything else. It is professional, but not the high paid level we know it as here. I look at it as a fairly long vacation in which I get paid to do something I like doing. I'd rather do this than sit in an office."
Iron Mask's season begins in February. If Cannes wins the national championship, it would then compete in the Euro Bowl against teams from other countries on the continent.
Gardner just finished his academic program since the last four football seasons were his second through fifth school years on his academic calendar and first through fourth on his athletic eligibility calendar. He began his college career five years ago as a Division I recruit scholarship player at the University of Hawaii, but it was not his cup of tea and he returned to Cleveland after only a brief visit in the pineapple island-state.
He wants to use the pro playing experience as a practicum for his career goal of becoming a coach. He also will be helping out with coaching the juniors (youth team) while there.
"I'll be back by the summer so hopefully I can help out coaching at St. Ed, B-W or somewhere around here until I go back next year," said Gardner.
He also was offered contracts to play in Serbia, Norway and Finland, but opted for France because the other countries" seasons do not begin until later in the spring.
"My coaches told me a couple years ago that I could probably do this," Gardner said. "I had to upload a profile and game film and was able to get these offers."
Gardner is one of only three imports allowed on the team by league rule. The rest are Frenchmen.
Gardner was the Cleveland Touchdown Club MVP Award winner this past fall, honoring him as B-W's top player. Twice he was name All-Ohio Athletic Conference while also receiving B-W's Dr. Ray E. Watts Award as the Most Valuable Offensive Player in 2009.
Shaun Carney preceded Gardner at St. Ed and then went on to be a four-year starter at quarterback for Air Force. Carney, whose uncle was a wide receiver at B-W as well as Fairview High in the 1980s, is now an officer in the Air Force.
"Shaun was a senior when I was a sophomore at St. Ed," Gardner said. "It was great playing behind and then taking over for someone like him at quarterback. He was going to give it a pro shot in Canada but then was injured in his last game. St. Ed is a good program not only for quarterbacks who want to move to the next level but others as well. They were adjusting this year and will get back to winning again next year. They have a good coaching staff."
Walsh Jesuit alum Dan Larlham had a tryout in Canada at quarterback after leading B-W to its last playoff appearance in 2003. Gardner is ranked third on the all-time passing list at B-W behind Larlham and John Koz, who played at a different high school in Lakewood and had a brief tryout with the Cleveland Browns.
Gardner was looking into acquiring some Rosetta Stone tapes to learn French until he learned of the high cost associated with them.
"I hope I can learn the language by experience," Gardner said. "My brother's girlfriend gave me some flashcards I've been looking at to learn some words."
