12
The newest Toronto Argonaut has a lot in common with several of the club's marquee signings in recent years.
Wide receiver David Boston is a former NFL star with a ton of talent, a glorious football past and some colourful history off the field. That history includes positive tests for steroids, marijuana and cocaine, and a no-contest plea to a reckless driving charge settled this month. He's also awaiting trial on charges related to an argument with his wife last October.
But if Boston was looking for a club willing to grant second or third chances to players once considered at the top of their profession, he's come to the right place.
"I'm excited to come up there and play and I feel really excited about this opportunity," Boston said Monday. "I felt like this was a pretty good fit."
It's not hard to see what the Argos like about him as a football player. The Arizona Cardinals picked him eighth overall in the 1999 NFL draft out of Ohio State. He twice surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for the Cardinals and was chosen to the NFC Pro Bowl team after the 2001 season.
But the Cardinals let him walk after the 2002 season and he signed a seven-year, $53-million (U.S.) contract with the San Diego Chargers, who traded him to the Miami Dolphins after a disappointing 2003. He was injured for most of his two seasons with the Dolphins. In 2006, Boston signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was released on Sept. 12, 2007.
But at 29, the 6-foot-2 player says he's healthy and ready to resume his football career.
"We've been looking for a physical receiver since Robert Baker left," Argos player personnel director Greg Mohns said. "Not only does he bring size, but also speed, and his résumé speaks for itself."
Mohns wasn't concerned about Boston's off-field troubles.
"Most players in this league have had some chinks in their armour at some point, so I don't think there's anything to be overly concerned about," Mohns said.
Boston attracted attention in the NFL for his size, as he reportedly went from 206 pounds when he was drafted to as big as the mid-240s, prompting suggestions he was doping. His current weight is 235.
A positive test for steroids in 2004 seemed to confirm that, although Boston insists his individualized training program is above board.
"I just want to be as healthy as I can," Boston said. "I'm a real health nut and I try to eat the right foods and take supplements and fish oils, be as healthy as I can. I've been like that for six or seven years.
"I really don't try to get caught up in [what people say about me]. When you start working out and your body starts to change, people say things. To me, the most important thing is to live one more day for my son and my daughter. People think I want to make my body look a certain way for football, but I'm really just a healthy guy."
During much of his NFL career, Boston's personal trainer was former Canadian bobsledder Ian Denney, with whom he underwent a strict regimen of diet, exercise and supplements, including regular use of an intravenous drip. Boston said Monday he stopped working with Denney, who has a biochemistry degree from the University of Alberta, in 2006.
