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Dan Farthing |
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Dan Farthing made his mark in championship football circles, twice helping Holy Cross win the Saskatchewan high school title, twice going to the Vanier Cup and winning once with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, and getting to play in one Grey Cup final with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Dan was born in Regina, moved to Saskatoon at an early age, playing baseball with the Orioles and playing hockey up into the bantam ranks. He was a champion in three sports at Holy Cross, helping the Crusaders win the Saskatchewan football titles in 1985 and 1986, helping Holy Cross win the Saskatchewan basketball title in 1987, and winning a gold medal in pole vault at the 1986 provincials. While wearing No. 30 at Holy Cross, Dan was a big force in the provincial finals. He scored one touchdown and had three interceptions, two of which led to touchdowns, in the 35-16 victory over Regina O'Neill in 1985. A year later, he scored a 78-yarder from the first play of scrimmage and added two more in the 51-15 victory over Regina Campbell. He joined the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in 1987 and won the Peter Gorman trophy as the outstanding rookie in Canadian College football. He led the nation with 759 receiving yards, set a team single-game record with 259 yards in a game against Manitoba, and scored three touchdowns among his 31 receptions. His first appearance in a Vanier Cup final came in November 1989, when he scored Saskatchewan's only touchdown during a 35-10 loss to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs. He shook off an early-season broken collarbone to make a return to the Toronto Skydome for the 1990 Vanier Cup final and the Huskies won their first-ever Vanier Cup with a 24-21 victory over St. Mary's Huskies, 24-21. In four seasons with the Huskies, Dan had 96 receptions and 2,120 yards. It was the first time Saskatchewan ever won the Canadian College football title. And when Dan graduated from the university in 1993, he was awarded the President's Medal as the university's most outstanding graduate. Dan was selected second overall by Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 1991 Canadian Football League draft, played briefly in five games and scored his first touchdown against the Ottawa Rough Riders. He played some wide receiver and some slotback the next two seasons but his time on the field was limited because he was trying to unseat two Canadian veterans, Ray Elgaard and Larry Fairholm. The chances finally came. He caught 45 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns in 1995, after Fairholm left the Roughriders, and it was one of his best seasons. A year later, Elgaard retired and Farthing's role increased as he caught 37 passes and gained 470 yards. He began to feel the championship success in 1997. As a big play receiver, he had 58 catches for 959 yards and four touchdowns and was fourth in the CFL in receiving. He helped the Roughriders put together a string of wins near season's end and then went to the Grey Cup final where they were beaten by the Toronto Argonauts, 47-23. In 1998, he enjoyed his best season with catches, 67, and he continued to shine on offence until he retired after the 2001 season. In his CFL career, he made 384 catches for 5,108 yards and 19 touchdowns and he averaged 13 yards per catch. Dan is now involved in working with high performance athletes, some with Olympic credentials. |
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